A New World
by blackstarlight17
Summary: Phineas and gang find themselves in a new world they have no idea even going to. They're alone, scared, and lost, forced to survive in a new environment and stay together or lose each other forever. They encounter things, encounter people they didn't expect to see, forging friendships and enemies that'll change who they are. (Genre may change)
1. Chapter 1

_**Originally posted on Deviantart, only hesitated because I can't think of a good summary, still can't think of a good one, but I simply didn't want to wait anymore.**_

_**Any ideas for a better summary, title, even genre are more than welcome.**_

_**Been trying to follow the canon series, but between losing cable and Disney site in general being a bitch, I hadn't kept up on Phineas and Ferb as well as I would like. So if there are any parts I screwed up, please let me know.**_

_**It may seem silly, but I'd like to try and keep some of them canon, personality wise while changing it due to the plot of the story.**_

_**Warnings:**_

_**This fic **_"WILL"_** get graphic in later chapters, so if you're not comfortable with gore, violence, psychological trauma, etc. then don't read.**_

_**There will be crossovers with multiple fandoms, again, if you're not into that, then don't read.**_

_**The main fandoms mentioned will be between Elfen Lied and Bleach, others will be mentioned or hinted, cookies for those who can figure them out.**_

_**There will be some yaoi/yuri pairings as well as straight, as for what the pairings are, you'll have to find out, some even I haven't fully decided on myself, others I have. If you're not into that, then don't read.**_

_**I will **_"NOT"_** be repeating this again, the warning is right above on this first chapter, so take heed and please don't complain for not giving warning.**_

_**Dates of when I post will be every Thursday/Friday in order to ensure I keep ahead of the fic so I have hopes to actually completing it.**_

_**Other than that, I hope you enjoy.**_

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"Huh? What…what happened?" a redheaded boy groaned, feeling his head wet, hair matted down.

Soon the daze cleared up when tasting copper in his mouth, realizing it was blood causing his heart to start racing of what could've happened, fearing the worst.

"Ferb! Where…where are you guys!"

"Over here…" the voice of the boy's older sister groaned as she got to her feet.

She was about to yell at her brothers about telling their mother before feeling a pair of hands on her shoulders, helping her up when nearly falling.

"Jeremy! You're bleeding!" she gasped in horror.

Her eyes widened when seeing blood staining the front of his shirt along with signs of bleeding on other parts of his body.

All in all, he was in pretty bad shape, same with the others when taking notice of her surroundings better.

"So are you guys," he sighed, gritting his teeth a little to ignore the pain as he helped her back down in a sitting position.

He began tending to her bleeding knee, unintentionally having her skirt rise up to far, thankfully not far enough to see anything.

"S-s-sorry…" he stuttered, blushing brightly of what happened along with the teenage redhead.

"It's fine, not like you did it on purpose," she half joked, knowing it was true.

Her attention was drawn along with the other when hearing a shrill voice call out towards her younger brother, knowing who it was exactly.

"Phineas!"

Isabella was already running to his side, forcing him to sit still as she examined him with her Fireside Girl skills.

She could tell that his head had been bleeding but appeared to have stopped, but unsure if the wound was worse than it looked.

All she could really tell was that parts of his vibrant red hair had taken a deeper tone thanks to the crimson liquid.

The girl herself seemed less injured, most likely used her skills to avoid getting seriously hurt or simply got lucky. Either way, she was still pretty roughed up, needing a few bandages to protect them until they scabbed and healed properly.

Seeing he was okay enough, she reluctantly left the boy's side, telling him to stay seated in the case of a concussion.

Walking over to the others, she examined Ferb, finding he was a little worse than Phineas, likely using his body to protect the boy. They were just about next to each other, even where they are now, so it wouldn't be much of a surprise.

Baljeet and Buford, when checking them over found they were scuffed up, though the Indian boy was less battered. While the bully wouldn't admit it, it was obvious that whatever happened, he used his body as a shield to protect the smaller male.

Finding there was a water fountain nearby, she went over to it, grabbing some empty bottles they had, recognizing them as theirs before waking to this.

Filling them up, she told them to share one as she used the others to help wash their injuries.

She knew that she should call for an ambulance, but based on the sky and their location, they were roughly alone. She didn't even know where they were in Danville, unsure if it was disorientation or something more. Right now, she needed to patch her friends up before they took any other actions.

She was just grateful their clothes, albeit dirty from the ground and their blood, were in decent enough condition.

Finding her bag, she pulled her Fireside Girl book out, turning it to the medical section; grateful she got the patches and knowledge for it. Who would've thought she'd need it like this though?

Cleaning their cuts and, forcing them to suck it up when it came to making them remove their shirts, the boys mostly to check for more injuries. Thankfully they didn't have anything serious, mostly what looked like bruising, something they'll have to deal with as she would too.

In the end, everyone was a little cleaner and layered in bandaging over the more serious injuries.

Glancing around, Phineas was starting to feel better as he sipped the water before passing it to Buford.

"Hey, where's Perry?" he asked nervously, blue eyes filled with worry. "Wasn't he with us when…when this happened?"

"I thought I saw him wandering around the corner of the house… Maybe he didn't get caught in whatever happened?" Isabella tried to comfort, knowing that it was partially true.

She did see the platypus scuttle around the corner, figuring he smelled some worms to eat or something. But she couldn't be certain if whatever happened dragged the poor animal along or not, hoping for the latter.

She really did like the platypus and it'd break her heart if he got hurt, seeing Phineas crying if he was hurt, especially if it was their own doing.

"Guys, this doesn't look like Danville," Baljeet whimpered as he hugged himself, rubbing his hands over his arms.

He could feel goosebumps littering the skin, even under the bandages as he nervously glanced around.

"What exactly happened?" Jeremy asked as he held his girlfriend's hand, "I remember swinging by to pick Candace up, saw you guys, then I blacked out."

"I don't remember much either," Phineas admitted as he sat on the dirt, knees drawn up with tears threatening to start falling. "I remember Ferb and I were in the process of making flying bumper cars, Isabella and the guys came by to help out so we could all have fun. You know, the usual we do."

"I swore I heard an explosion, then the ground started shaking," Buford added, knowing it'll send everyone into a frenzy, it sure did with him.

"You think there was an earthquake?" the younger girl asked nervously, fearing for her family, dog, and her friends' families.

"I don't know, if there was, then why are we here and not home?" Candace added as she tried to recognize anything.

"I think we can agree on this, whatever happened, we all must've hit our heads rather hard not to remember much," Ferb spoke softly, knees drawn up.

The action made him look so much smaller and younger than he usually looked, enough to drag Candace away from the blonde.

Reaching them, she knelt down to wrap her arms around him and Phineas, comforting them as they began letting tears fall in small trickles.

"I wanna go home," Baljeet whimpered as he started to cry.

He was beginning to lose it, the others starting to shake between fear and resisting the urge to start crying as well.

Managing to pull herself together, Candace knew she had to be strong, not fall apart when seeing her stepbrother and the neighborhood bully losing it.

"Isabella, you have more experience as a Fireside Girl than I do. Is there anything in that book that could be of help? Like advice on what to do in a situation like this, or close enough?" she asked, looking to the younger girl, even offering to take the book if she couldn't focus.

Looking through, the raven haired girl found some pages that matched somewhat to their situation, namely being in unfamiliar territory.

"Aside from checking for any others with us, and it looks like we're the only ones here…" she began, feeling her eyes tearing up a little before blinking them back. "And we aren't in a forest, there're lights and buildings, so we should try to find a library that's open still or maybe a cyber café. We can use the computers to find out where we are exactly, it might even help jog or memory of what might've happened."

"Sounds like a plan," the eldest sibling sighed in some relief, praying that they may get a break.

Immediately, they began packing what they could, using pockets and bags that they had on them to carry what they may need.

There wasn't much, just a few water bottles Isabella used to help clean their cuts and rehydrate them. There was some debris from whatever the boys were building, though they were completely useless, some even too big to try carrying.

Wordlessly, she felt Phineas grip her hand, his other hand occupying Ferb's as he dragged them along.

Others followed, Jeremy keeping ahead with Isabella next to him, a protective hand over her shoulder.

Despite their differences, Baljeet and Buford stayed close to each other, but kept close to the group, mostly the siblings in case of trouble.

Wandering the city, they got a few stares from people, but no one really bothered to check on them. If anything, they were staring more at the siblings than their ragged appearances. Some people even looked nervous, taking the chance to avoid them than take pity and help.

The teens felt a bit miffed by it, but shrugged it off, knowing once they find out where they are and call home; they can put it behind them.

"There's one of those cafés!" Phineas' voice chirped excitedly.

"Finally, wasn't sure if we would ever find one," Candace sighed in relief before yelping as she nearly tripped when the boy took off towards it. "Slow down! You're going to pull our arms off!"

"Sorry!"

Getting inside, hoping they won't get thrown out, they managed to find a computer farther from the others.

They didn't need to risk people eavesdropping on them, though to avoid hassles, they pulled out what money they had, buying some drinks and snacks.

If there was one thing they could agree on, they were famished, not knowing how long they were out, nor did they want to know.

Despite some stares, again more focused on the trio than the others, they ignored them, Phineas nearly hanging off of Baljeet's shoulder as he typed away.

"Any luck?" Jeremy asked, returning with the sodas and snacks, handing them around to the others.

He glanced at those glued to the computer; however, he felt his heart drop to his stomach when seeing the hopeful look on their faces dropping fast.

"What's wrong?" he asked, not wanting to ask, but knew he had to or it'd drive him insane. He just hoped whatever the answer was didn't drive him insane as well.

"There…there's no Danville, _our_ Danville here, or anywhere…" the redheaded boy whimpered, pulling away from the machine. "No history, nothing of our mayor, of Love Händel. It's almost like it never even existed, like it's been replaced with a completely different one. It's as if we're in a completely different world…"

Immediately the tears returned, falling freely down his face before feeling his sister pick him up, patting his back to calm him down.

"_Shh_…_shh_…it's okay, we'll find a way back home. If any one of us can figure it out, it'll be you guys."

"Really?" the boy asked, looking to his sister with hope.

"Yeah, you guys do so many amazing things. Once we figure out how we got here, then we can work on getting home. Think of it like that time you wanted to make the longest summer day? We thought we were done for, that we wouldn't get back, then after a pep talk, you came up with that brilliant paper plane and slingshot to send us home. We just need to be patient and try to stay calm."

"You're right, thanks, Candace, you're the best!" the boy laughed, starting to feel more optimistic as he hugged her tightly. "Course it would be better if this was just a really crazy dream we're having."

"I'd rather have that _any_ day," the teen joked with the others smiling, beginning to feel better after watching the affectionate display.

Deciding to finish their drinks and food, they left the café, knowing it'll be due to close soon. Plus they were low on money and now had to be wiser with it than they were moments before.

Wandering around, they found a rather empty park, unsure if it was the same one they woke up in or not. Right now, it didn't fully matter, they needed to sit and rest, then start thinking what to do next.

"Should we go to the police?" Baljeet wondered before getting a light smack from Buford, making him cry out as he held his head. "What?"

"Don't be stupid," the bully scolded, "we're in another world, what can the police do for us other than ship us off to foster care?"

Gulps could be heard, the siblings clinging to one another, the smallest of the group letting a small whine out as he realized his mistake.

"I'm sorry, I'm just so scared," he cried softly, burying his face into his knees.

"We all are, normally I'd agree with you, but Buford makes a good point. Who would believe we're from Danville if the one we know doesn't even exist?" Jeremy sighed as he sat down with the boy, rubbing his back gently. "I hate to say it, but we're completely on our own. We need to find out how to survive and use stealth to avoid getting found out we're technically homeless."

"Could we try a homeless shelter?" Phineas asked nervously as he glanced up.

"No, it'd raise warning flags being we're all underage. We'll have to literally rough it outdoors, find means of support and try to stay under the radar."

"But we barely have enough money, how could we survive outdoors?"

"Maybe we could stay in abandon buildings?" Candace suggested, getting surprised stares by a few. "What? If they aren't guarded, we could use them to our advantage. We'd have decent shelter if it rains, and if we stay here longer, could provide some shelter when the cold weather hits."

"I hope we don't stay _that_ long…"

"I hope so too…"

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	2. Chapter 2

Eventually they found themselves an abandoned building, reading that it was due for demolition coming spring.

Scanning it, they found no signs of security watching it, or if they did, hopefully won't take notice of a group of kids sneaking to sleep and seek shelter.

Settling around, finding some scraps of tarps and such to make due as blankets, they set themselves up for sleep, knowing they would have a big day ahead of them.

As morning came, despite being hungry, they sat together, knowing they had to think of what to do regarding money. They couldn't steal nor beg for money and food without drawing attention to themselves.

Therefore they decided to do what any normal kid would do, get summer jobs and save up as much as they could. They would only spend what they earned on what they absolutely needed, when it was needed.

Candace and Jeremy knew they couldn't get official part time jobs without proper credentials, without a home most of all.

Therefore, between doing odd jobs around town, they scouted, much to their discomfort, some shady apartments that wouldn't think twice.

Scanning different places, the young woman glanced at her boyfriend, seeing that without the kids around, he let his optimism drop a little.

Knowing exactly what, or who he was thinking about, she placed a hand over his shoulder to try and comfort him.

"We'll find her, I'm sure of it," she reassured, seeing him give a bitter smile.

"Thanks, I just hope Suzy's safe."

"I'm sure she is."

With that, the rest of the day went on, the teenagers managing to find a few odd jobs around, hoping the kids are having some luck themselves.

When getting back, they traded stories on what they did; managing to learn that while people did seem wary, almost nervous.

They knew it had to be because of how the brother's hair looked much like with their sister. Yet, despite that, some people did hire them, mostly to help walk their dog or mow lawns if they could.

Some even offered to help clean gutters for older people, getting a little more in pay. Phineas even mentioned how he and Isabella when they worked at one house had been offered a lunch and permission to borrow their bathroom to wash up.

Ferb, having risked being on his own collected any empty bottles and such that were deemed recyclable.

When he got enough that he could carry without the bag he found ripping or toppling himself, he found a place to redeem them.

It wasn't much, earning only a couple of dollars after hours of work, but it was at least something. Especially when seeing as no one would hire him because of his hair color it seems.

It frustrated him, and with his already awkward social skills, it made it even harder to try and ask why.

Baljeet told them about how he and Buford, likely because of the boy's timid nature, when passing some restaurants, the owners offered some scraps to take.

It was obvious that they looked homeless, but the fact no calls were made or attempts to take them away felt strange, almost alien.

A little unsure about it at all, Candace, when she had time to herself, decided to look for a library.

Finding it, she began looking through the computers, doing research, being very careful what she chose to print to bring back and share her findings.

Thankfully the cost to print was extremely cheap, so she barely spent anything when she was done.

All in all, she felt bad for the world they were in, reading about some group she wasn't sure about called diclonii being the main issue.

An economy crisis happened, though it's exact details were hard to figure out, hence why she had them printed.

If anyone could put it together better, it'd be Baljeet and Ferb, they were the smartest, at least they made themselves appear so.

What did worry her was that because of what's happened, the numbers of homeless had recently increased. Meaning even if they _did_ try a shelter, they likely wouldn't be accepted. It looked like not even an orphanage or any place would them in because of how many _are_ without homes.

She wasn't sure to consider it a curse or a blessing, all she knew was that they get to stay together longer.

"Oh man, this world is more messed up than I thought," Jeremy sighed as he and the others looked the papers over.

"Tell me about it," the redhead sighed as she glanced at the papers.

"Candace, what are diclonii?" Phineas asked, sitting almost in her lap when he stared at the papers, seeing the word popping up more than once.

"I don't know. I didn't really bother looking into it. I wanted to learn more about this place than anything else. You know, find out if we're in any actual danger being separated," she answered, letting her hand run through his hair.

"Oh…but why would people not like these diclonii though, it doesn't really make any sense?"

"Who knows, let's just hope we don't find out any time soon," she stated, giving him a firm hug as he leaned into her.

From there, days passed, crawling into weeks and soon most of summer was gone, money slowly saved and spent when needed.

The teenagers eventually found a place that looked habitable, but questionable when seeing the residents and landlord.

It was perfect, more so thanks to the mentioned landlord appearing half baked most of the time they secretly spied on him and the complex.

All they had to do now was save enough money when seeing what was needed, having cleaned up to get a tour of the unit, appearing interested.

Yup, the guy was half baked alright, didn't ask for their identifications and smelled like choking smoke, the two grateful the kids weren't with them.

But they found the unit was well stocked, learning that the previous occupants refused to pay rent for whatever reason, so left, leaving all their stuff behind.

The two could only guess that whoever lived here prior likely lost their job and couldn't afford not only to stay, but hire movers to take their things.

It was pitiful, but they had to find a way to earn enough and claim this place as theirs before someone else does.

Therefore, they worked tirelessly on odd jobs they could do, grateful that while a lot of people were wary, were becoming more and more open. It became noticeable one time they had Ferb with them and an adult took the chance to ruffle the boy's hair.

They had helped the guy out, though instead of earning money as they secretly wished, they did get some food, albeit stale.

Seeing the relieved look on his face, as if touching the boy's hair meant something caused him to be more generous with his handouts.

It was strange to the teens, but they shook it off, right now, they didn't want to raise questions, not reveal anything more amiss than they may already give.

At some point, they managed to earn quite a bit of money, but it was still a long ways off, having to work almost double.

A few times, Candace almost considered going to the riskier parts of town she'd pass, only to shake her head. If her brothers ever found out, even if they knew her intentions were to help them, they may not forgive her. And she did _not_ want to think how Jeremy would react if she did that, nor did she want to think if he thought of doing the same thing.

When they all reunited again, everyone was using the abandoned building as their temporary home, turning parts more livable due to the extended stay.

They found the place had been a home, finding a couple of old bathrooms, albeit one was torn up pretty badly. Probably to get at the more valuable wiring and pipes inside in order to sell or reuse. That is, if they weren't stolen to begin with.

But the other bathroom was in better shape, cleaning out the old tub to use, finding buckets to use to collect water. Its location was almost perfect, set near some woods where there was a stream running through. Though, if they couldn't get to the stream to refill, they would leave the buckets outside to collect rainwater instead.

Candace barely took notice of everyone sitting down together, eating the meager meals they collected.

The few things they bought were mostly cleaner clothes at thrift shops, very cheap hygiene products like soap and toothpaste. And when it _did_ come to having to buy food, it was mostly things to make what was given taste better, such as salt or something to act as a dipping sauce to give it _some_ flavor.

She watched everyone, feeling depressed at their ragged looks, her eyes landing on her poor brothers.

In all her years, while she wanted to bust the little menaces for their wild inventions, she honestly did love them. She didn't want them to get hurt and here they are, suffering and she couldn't do a damn thing about it!

"So you found a place?" Baljeet's voice broke through the teenager's thoughts.

She glanced in his direction, finding he was talking with her boyfriend, likely telling them about the apartment they found and what it held.

"That's great, so we might actually have a real place to stay then?" Phineas asked, looking at his sister with unwavering hope.

She knew it would die at some point, but she was willing to do everything in her power to keep that hope alive.

"If we work hard to save enough, then yeah."

"But what about papers though?" Isabella's voice spoke up, looking at the bread with a thin frown. "We have no birth certificates, no documents regarding who we are. What are we going to do?"

"The landlord isn't very smart it looks and doesn't keep things as they should. I doubt he'll bust us so long as we have money to pay rent," she joked dryly.

She reached her hand out to gently pat her arm, an open invitation if the girl wished to cry into her.

"And I'm sure we'll think of something if we did start facing certain problems," Jeremy added with a bitter smile. "If we can just scrape by as we are, but with a proper roof over our heads, then chances of us getting home are higher."

"I really hope so."

"Of course we'll get home; Ferb and I have been trying to think of what could've happened to land us here. We even visited the spot we woke up in a few times to look for clues," Phineas prattled excitedly, pulling a nut from his pocket to show as proof.

"Even if we did know how we got here, how could we get home? I don't think we can get away with the same shtick as before," the raven haired girl grumbled softly.

She didn't want to sound harsh, but part of her _was_ really losing hope, only keeping up appearances for the others.

However, when the redhead started going on again, sounding so optimistic, she turned, ready to scream at him, stopping at the look in his eyes. But it wasn't just the way he looked alone; it was the way he spoke, the very thing that brought a small smile back to her face.

She shouldn't lose hope nor force the redhead to lose it either because it's sitting in their laps right now, right next to them. Phineas Flynn _is_ their hope to get back home and he won't fail, she's sure of it.

"We always find a way, just like Candace said," the redhead grinned, his childish innocence penetrating everyone's depression. "We'll figure out how we got here, figure out how to get home, build it, then voila, we're home. We can go back to having fun like we used to, course we'll be _a_ _lot_ more careful."

At that part, he gave a nervous laugh, more to himself, likely revealing that he might be blaming himself for their misery.

Before he knew it, Ferb wrapped an arm around him, pulling him into a hug, leaning his head into his shoulder.

It was his silent way of telling him not to blame himself, telling him that it wasn't his fault and no one hated him for it.

From there, with renewed determination, they continued what they were doing, saving up as much as they could.

Eventually they found themselves able to pay the first month's rent, but knew it wasn't enough. There was still a lot more and needed to save more if they planned on staying longer than that.

Slowly summer was coming to a close, adding a spark of danger knowing when school starts; it'll get harder for them, and easier for cops to catch them.

It was so stupid they had to hide like this, but they had no choice, they couldn't risk getting separated.

If one of them gets caught, it's pretty much game over for all of them.

They wouldn't be able to get the captured out nor would they even think of abandoning them.

It was a thought they secretly feared as much as they didn't want too, as much as they didn't want to think about.

But seeing how bleak the situation looked, they kept up their resolve; they had faith in the creative brothers. So long as they don't lose that faith as well, Phineas especially, then they still have a chance to get home.

"Thank you," Phineas chirped happily towards the restaurant owner as he, Isabella, and his siblings walked away with a few bags of leftover food. "Thanks for taking us with you."

"No problem," Candace smiled softly glancing down at the small redhead, feeling his positivity radiating.

He looked so ragged, bags hanging under his eyes from lack of sleep, crying himself to sleep.

Sometimes he'd press himself into her or Ferb, the latter mostly to finally get any rest. Yet he still held some optimism that they'll get home very soon. She could only guess that his breakdowns weren't from losing hope, but the fear of what could happen before they get home.

She wondered just how innocent the naïve looking boy is, he's intelligent and has shown moments of maturity. Fact he knew how to weld at such a young age tells a lot, course Ferb shows it too, but he's different at the same time.

But Phineas, back home, he's always shown such a carefree nature, easily trusting and loving everything and everyone, or just about. There were a few he's shown dislike, be it a few gross foods even she would grimace at or enemies such as Mitch.

Yet, she always feared that his naivety would get him into trouble, possibly put him in danger. Fact he has his friends going along for the ride just adds to it. That was one of the reasons she originally wanted to bust them before it became a nasty habit she regrets ever getting.

But the boy is almost a teenager now himself, he'll have to grow up and mature if he ever wants to get taken seriously. The redhead just wished it wasn't like this he'd have to grow up against.

Pulling her eyes away, she now watched Ferb, seeing him silent as ever, albeit a tad clingier, not that she could blame him.

The green haired child though, he's always held an air of maturity far greater than his age shows wherever they are.

He barely says a few words and it's enough to diffuse an argument, people either shocked he spoke or how suave they were to move people.

Lately though, after all that's happened, she's starting to see the little boy he really is, not the young man he makes himself out to be.

She's no fool, hearing, sometimes feeling his tears whenever he'd cling to her in his sleep, Phineas clinging to her as well.

Both were scared, but showed their childish habits, knowing when they slept, they took turns snuggling with their pet. How they did it, she wasn't sure, nor did she really have motivation to ask how they trained him.

Her mind wandered to the teal pet, knowing that despite not doing much, he was devoted to her brothers. He just about followed them everywhere, somehow kept his poisonous claw from ever harming them, sleeps with them so peacefully. He even lets them get away dressing him up or using him as part of their activities, never complaining, simply makes his noise and continues that blank stare.

It almost made her wonder if he was smarter than he looked, knowing that _no_ animal would be that compliant.

At least not without some serious training and far as she knew, he was always like that since they brought him home.

Plus there were times he'd disappear for most of the day, rarely days, though when he did, it'd send the boys into fits.

She wouldn't admit it, at least before this, she wouldn't, but she honestly _did_ miss Perry and would very much love to snuggle him right now as much as the boys do.

She wouldn't be surprised when they get home, the three share a bed for a while as they readjust, Perry flopped on top of the pile.

"What are you thinking about?" Isabella asked, seeing the spacey look on the teenager, knowing she couldn't be thinking of Jeremy. The look was to sad, making her worry for her a bit, the others' attention grabbed as they glanced at their sister.

"Of all things, I was thinking of Perry," she chuckled as she saw looked at the boys, regretting her words as their smiles faded into frowns.

"I miss him," Phineas whispered as he stared at the battered sidewalk.

"I miss him too, but I'm sure he's fine, worrying where we are. And second we get back, he'll be all over you two, heck I wouldn't mind getting platypus slobber if I got caught in the crossfire," the teen laughed, seeing the corners of their mouths twitch.

"I thought you didn't like Perry?" Ferb asked, the small smile never leaving, hearing Phineas snickering at the thought of their sister covered in their pet's drool.

"I don't, but I don't _hate_ him either."

At this, they began talking, the boys sharing some stories about their precious pet, stories the teen didn't even know about.

It was a nice change of pace than worrying about their lives, focusing on something that made them smile and laugh.

It changed however the second they heard a choked sob call out towards them, the group turning to its source.

"Ph-Phineas! Ferb! Candace!"

When turning to the source, they saw the sorriest sight before them.

A young man, possibly not much older than the teenager, red eyes watering with tears as he stared at them. His skin was sickly pale, covered in mud and what looked like blood, hopefully not being the case.

His hair was a beautiful shared of teal, a very familiar shade to the group, seeing what looked like black streaks peppering the locks. But as with the rest of him, they were dirty, matted with fresh mud and what appeared to be more blood.

He wore what appeared to be ragged clothes, something one would see a patient at a hospital would wear.

The outfit was torn and ragged, as if he had climbed through a wire fence to get where he is now.

He carried what looked like a pillow case, it covered in mud, slung over shoulder, though dropped upon seeing them as he fell to his knees in shock.

All in all, he was a terrible mess; the most notable feature about him was the bandages on his arms. They went from his wrists all the way up to his elbows, covered in mud, signs he tried wiping them off, failing horribly.

"Who-who are you?" the redheaded boy stuttered with a bit of fear.

"It's me, Perry."

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	3. Chapter 3

When he first woke up here, he was in a large cage with dozens of other animals, most he didn't recognize, at least not from where he lives.

He stared, wondering how he ended up here, recalling how he was called to investigate an explosion at the D.E.I.

When he thought about it, it was strange as he had just beaten the mad scientist just before his owners woke up, and that was pretty much it for the day. The scientist would simply mope about the day, coming up with new plans later to try tomorrow, getting foiled by the O.W.C.A.'s top agent once more.

Now he was here, not able to recall how he got here, seeing dozens of animals huddled together, looking absolutely terrified.

He felt bad for them, wishing he could comfort them, but some lashed out with hisses and growls, instincts controlling them.

He sighed as he sat down; drawing his knees up, wondering what sort of diabolical plan is being made with him and the other animals here.

That was the last thing he thought before the room was engulfed in gas, knocking everything inside out.

After that, all he knew was excruciating pain.

Every time he woke up, he found himself lying on an operating table; different doctors hovered over his body.

The first time, they stripped him of his personal effects attached to him, feeling terrified as they injected him with syringes.

They were using him for some sort of experiment and the restraints were impossible to break. If he could break one limb free, then these guys would pay for what they were doing to him and for any other animal having to suffer.

But all that changed when he heard foreign chanting, realizing they were some sort of spells.

Before he could think or wonder what these people could be doing, he felt as if his entire body was on fire. He could feel his bones becoming different, unable to determine what it was, the pain overwhelming him, same with his skin, feet, everything.

Loud screams ripped out of his throat, a gag inserted not to quiet him, but prevent him from choking or biting his tongue. Afterwards they inserted some oxygen tubes to ensure that he kept breathing.

What were they doing to him?

Why were they doing this to him?

What purpose could they have torturing him?

These questions and thousands more ran through his head every time he woke up here, he was terrified beyond words.

He would be forced to endure grueling hours of pure agony, feeling bones snapping and reforming. Fur shedding painfully, sometimes taking chunks of skin by the burning and wet sensations. There were times he couldn't even feel his webbed feet, not sure if they might've fallen off or what.

One of the most painful experiences had to be when he was flipped onto his stomach and the most psychotic looking child came into view.

She was dressed in white, though did wear a surgeons coat, which was normal, _if_ this could be considered normal that is.

Her long white hair was tied back into a pair of tight buns, leaving her electric green eyes exposed, paralyzing the poor animal with fear.

If it wasn't for the fact he knew that this was a child and not a dwarfed adult, he would've thought nothing of it.

But this is a child and…oh god, what is she doing with that surgical knife?

He barely focused on her, unable to completely follow before pain exploded in his lower region, his tail precise. She was literally; ruthlessly sawing his tail off right down to the base, leaving nothing behind; not even a stump remained.

He couldn't stop shrieking as he was butchered alive, things done to him he didn't think were possible, things he didn't think anyone should be capable of.

Not even horror movies he's seen were like this!

He was left alone for a while after that, allowed to heal from that, those were the orders that monstrous child gave.

How could such a small being be filled with such evil?

But what had to be more terrifying about this child, was that very fact, she _is_ a child. He shuddered and cried, unable to take the image of his innocent owners becoming like this if given the chance.

No, they never would become like her, they were born innocent, it was obvious she never was innocent to begin with.

As much as he didn't want to cast such judgment, but this girl was pure evil, wanting her to die every time he saw her or even heard her voice.

He couldn't stop crying, even as his breathing became ragged as he lied on a cot in agony.

He wanted to sleep the pain away, but he was scared to do so, knowing the next time he wakes up, he'll be back on the table.

He didn't understand what they were doing to him, why they were doing this, but knew it wasn't for good reasons.

He stared at his bandaged arm, vision blurred between tears and lack of contacts, but mostly his tears.

He hugged himself as best he could, sobbing softly, trying to think of happy thoughts, praying that it was all a horrible dream.

He wanted to wake up in bed with his humans, know that he's safe, that they're safe; not caring if he blew his cover smothering them with hugs and kisses.

Hell, he didn't care if he woke up at his nemesis' place, having gotten captured and fell asleep out of boredom or been conked nicely on the head. He likely would be covering the man with hugs and kisses too, far to relieved to know that it was all simply a horrible nightmare.

Anything had to be…

A loud, painful crack occurred, snapping his eyes open, another scream, one as loud as what he let out when his tail had been hacked off, echoing the room.

This time however, his beak had shattered, a gaping hole in his face as he felt the tissue shifting and morphing.

It was pure agony, feeling as if he'll die from the pain, barely hearing the shouting, barely feeling injections pumped into him.

After that, he blacked out, later waking up, this time in his cell, his whole head hurting, trying to recall what happened.

When he did, without thinking, he lurched his head over the side of the cot, vomiting whatever had been forced into his stomach after the last procedure.

Eyes snapped open as he wondered why he isn't hurting in the broken orifice; he tentatively lifted a hand up, touching his face.

Patches were either covered in bandaging or…

_"__No…"_ he silently gasped, realization finally dawning on him of what these people were doing to him.

Yes, he's been losing fur, a lot of it, but he still had some rough, scabby patches around the head, but this time, it was extremely soft. But it wasn't just that, he felt his face more, finding features that were never there, having been covered by a beak.

Glancing nervously at his half bandaged arm, he found it was more human, albeit a little deformed.

He looked further at himself, a new wave of emotions crashing into him far worse than ever before.

Tears were soaking his face once more, rage filling his very being, and disgust tightened around his stomach.

They were turning him human!

He has no objections regarding the human species, having found them fascinating creatures compared to platypi. What he did object was that if he's human, he could never return to his family…

He thought briefly about the agency, what they might think of this if he ever got back, however he threw the thought away. Screw them, to an extent; _they_ were the cause for sending him on this hellish mission in the first place.

All he wanted was things to go back to the way they were, not this hellhole he's trapped in; enduring pain at such levels he never knew existed.

Burying his face into his hands, he let out a scream, anguish consuming him as he started thrashing in bed.

Unable to really move, he was in a sense, throwing a tantrum, the kind he's seen his boys throw when they were very little.

He couldn't escape if he tried, his legs were too deformed right now, having not finished whatever sick experiment he's in. Even if they weren't, he had no tools to break out of his cell or any idea how to get out of here and back home.

Could he even _risk_ going back home? They could follow him; threaten the boys, Candace, their parents, all in order to get him back. Or worse, kill them…

The thoughts alone made him scream louder, thrashing, kicking weakling, swinging his arms into the side of the cot or the wall.

He ignored the pain it caused; it was nothing after what he's been through.

In his frenzy, men came in, drugging him, putting him into a more docile state, having him continue sobbing in his sleep.

After that, whatever else was left in his humanization was completed, the pain more bearable, the biggest of changes having been completed.

When he could finally stand properly and walk correctly, he was given fresh clothes, almost like training clothes. He was told, no _ordered_ to change before left alone in the small, claustrophobic feeling room.

He stared at himself, finding no scars, not even where his tail used to be, bringing a new wave of tears to his eyes.

He hugged the linen to his naked frame, shivering from the cold, reluctantly dressing himself clumsily.

He only succeeded after having watched the boys dress for so many years, they were all boys, and different species, at the time that is.

They had no worries of being uncomfortable with one another, especially with a pet present, probably not caring if he had been a girl because he wasn't human.

Of course, Ferb showed himself to be a tad bit shyer, matching rather well with his quiet nature, but not Phineas, not his naïve little angel.

He could recall a time when the boy went to wake his sister and she apparently was in the middle of changing and chased him out.

He didn't understand, his mom having to explain that with girls, it's better to knock before barging in as he had.

A door slammed open, leaving him to stare nervously, bringing his arms up, half in self-defense, the other out of instinctive fear as he hugged himself, trembling.

He felt like such a pup, child, however one would look it, but he couldn't help it!

What was done to him was completely inhumane. And now that they were done, who knows what they were going to do to him.

"Let's go," the gruff looking man snapped, grabbing the scared agent's arm, dragging him out of the room and down a few hallways.

He tried to memorize them, but couldn't, not because he couldn't focus, but more when he looked out the windows.

He realized he wasn't in Danville, the location appearing surreal, as if they weren't even on Earth anymore.

He was positive, wanting to ask, but couldn't figure out how to use his new vocal cords, knowing they were there and now human.

But all he was getting so far were chatters and small, strangled noises when he struggled with basic words used every day.

He wanted to beg to go home, willing not to say anything; he just wanted his family now, unable to stop the tears once more.

Finding themselves in a new room, completely different from what he had been growing accustomed too, much to his discomfort.

There, a single man in the room, looking far more sympathetic than the cruel monsters he's dealt with before in the operating, no that torture chamber.

"Hello, Perry, I'm glad to see you've made a full recovery. Please, take a seat and we will begin," the young man greeted softly as he pointed to their destination.

There was a table, a box with what looked like toys or something, a stack of papers, couple chairs.

It felt like he was in a mental institution, recalling some of his favorite soaps.

Please don't tell him that his whole life was an entire illusion, that he's actually some mental patient.

He didn't think he could take that, not after all he's gone through, all the memories he's formed, good and bad alike.

Hesitantly, mostly out of fear of getting thrown by the gruff giant, peeking nervously behind him to see him leave.

Taking a seat, shaking out of fear and still adjusting to his new body, he waited for the man now taking over claim the other seat.

"I know you're scared, if you're hoping to gain comfort that it'll get better…" the man sighed as he glanced away briefly. "For now, it doesn't matter. I'm sure you have thousands of questions to ask, but if you want to ask them, you need to learn how to use your new body properly. So why don't we get started then?"

Like that, he was made to go through childish trials between using utensils, toilet training, walking and running properly. But the one he had to have found most useful had to be speaking, finally learning how to work his new mouth.

What felt like an eternity, he was finally able to talk; having no stutters or slip ups on pronunciations, learning fast that he's got quite a silver tongue. He swore he saw the man blush a few times when he'd recite a few lines from his favorite soaps.

He merely picked those lines because he remembered them best and felt they would work with testing out his new vocal cords. It was only later that he realized that a few of those chosen lines had some innuendos in them.

Having learned so much, now going through another set of tests, this time a bit more advanced to test his reaction time.

He felt now was a time to start asking questions, praying it won't backfire on him, especially with his man he hesitated to call a friend.

"Why me?" he asked, a simple sounding question, but it was so much more, praying that this doctor he's had as a teacher would answer.

"You had a large spike with your reiatsu, your spirit energy if you will."

"I still don't get it…" he muttered softly, almost slipping back to his chatters.

"I'm afraid that you were picked to join a military group. But in your previous form, you would not have lasted long, enduring blasts and explosions from both sides."

"But you know everything about me…"

"Exactly, we knew all of your limitations, and what this militia does, you would not have lasted a single fight. You needed a far stronger body, given a human looking body, but at the same time, it isn't completely human."

"Isn't completely human?" the other unintentionally parroted, staring wide eyed at the other.

"You will find you will take hits that would normally be fatal, killing someone upon impact, though they will be absolutely painful. The muscles in your body are stronger, meaning you'll be able to deliver punches strong enough to shatter concrete, and if you harness control over your reiatsu, you'll be able to shatter stronger materials. It is the same for when it comes to speed as you run, your reflexes sharper than ever. If you hadn't noticed, even your sight had been corrected so you have no need for contacts. And again, all these senses and reactions could be enhanced far greater when you begin training your reiatsu properly…"

"I didn't ask for this though…"

"I know, most here never ask for this, usually taken away at night, never to see loved ones again. And the times they do, it is the last time."

"What do you mean?"

"You're lucky you'll never get to see them again," the doctor sighed softly, earning a chill from the other.

"What do you mean? What happened to my family?" Perry just about shouted, standing up, slamming his hands on the table.

He was about to answer before the door opened, revealing that same child, sending the once platypus into a frenzy.

This time however, she wasn't dressed to perform surgery, but in a white blouse and skirt, black shoes tapping lightly as she walked in.

Her white hair, instead of a bun hung in a loose ponytail over a shoulder, concealing her right eye, held together by a ribbon.

Now dressed in what appeared to be casual clothes, he felt sick, realizing she truly was a child, he hadn't been hallucinating in that room. She had to be at least five years old, yet the look in her visible eye said otherwise.

"Stay away from me!" he screamed with desperation.

Without thinking, he grabbed the chair, throwing it at the small girl, watching as she easily side stepped, almost teleporting by how fast she moved.

The furniture hit the floor, shattering, even leaving small cracks in the floor, leaving him to stare in shock of how much stronger he's become.

In his awe, he almost missed the psychotic child talking, though when he did, he found she wasn't talking to him directly.

"_Tsk_…_tsk_…Manäo-_kun_, I thought I told you, that you aren't to disclose such _delicate_ information without my permission?" the child taunted as she walked further inside, hands tucked behind her back.

"He deserves to know," the man growled as he refused to look the child in the eye, gritting his teeth. "He deserves to know what you did you sick monster!" he shouted before a small gasp was heard, a knife having been shot straight between the eyes.

"Oh dear, you should be lucky that isn't fatal. But when I'm done with you, you'll wish it was," the child taunted as she snapped her fingers.

Strange, monstrous creatures floated into the room, gathering the twitching doctor, passing the frozen agent.

He couldn't believe what he saw; literally he couldn't see when she pulled that knife out or when it was thrown.

It happened so fast, and seeing how calm she acted, he shook harder, realizing he couldn't beat her if he tried.

It didn't matter if he was a platypus or always had been human, or any creature for that matter.

This child, this _thing_ was on a whole other level, one he didn't even know existed until now.

Worse, there could be, no, he was positive that were others just like her in this horrendous place. He was positive that they were all just as deadly as, maybe deadlier than her, capable of doing far worse to him than what she's done.

He felt lightheaded, seeing her grin evilly, unsure why as his vision began darkening, realizing in his own sheer terror, he was fainting.

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	4. Chapter 4

It felt like an eternity passed, having been thrown back into his somewhat new, but still very smelly cell.

He felt completely numb; he finally learned what that doctor meant, learning it from the devil child, Anax.

"They're gone…they're all gone…" he whispered, falling to his knees, unable to form tears, eyes wide as he stared at the dirty floor.

Bombs were built, his world chosen for destruction to test these bombs and their properties as was the second dimension he had visited.

The difference though?

No one from that realm had been claimed, the creator of these bombs, the very same child he's grown to hate having complained about it. Namely how his parallel self was weak compared to him, that despite their tough exterior in that world, their spiritual energy, their reiatsu, was laughable.

Therefore, they were marked as being more useful for these _dimensional_ bombs as he's heard them called.

He barely understood any of it, and he didn't want too, he just wanted to wake up from this nightmare.

But as days passed, forced to endure grueling trials, forced to work his body to do what he could before.

Despite the tremendous change, minus the tail and venomous claw, his skills were perfect, unsure if he should be grateful or angry.

He wanted to refuse, finding no reason to live, but they threatened lives, wishing he had listened the first time they threatened.

He couldn't get the images out of his head, watching as they willfully shot at least five people before submitting to their demands and trained, and trained, and trained.

He felt horrible, but what drew the line was hearing they were going to make him kill, he couldn't do it. Especially when hearing that these monsters really were as such, not misguided people looking for justice, they were pure evil.

He stopped eating; staring into space, knees drawn up, chin resting on top, continuously wishing it was all a horrible dream.

At first he was left alone, but when it came up to the fourth, maybe fifth day, he wasn't sure, they forced food into him.

"Hey, you're new here?" a voice spoke up, barely registering it as he continued staring into space.

He had been transferred to a new location, with other prisoners such as himself, those who have yet to fully break.

He could hear shouting from people begging to be set free or just kill them now, clearly defying, refusing to cooperate.

They were all in different languages, at first unable to understand, but at some point had been force fed some pills.

After that, he began to understand all the foreign languages being spoken, forcing a new wave of tears from his eyes.

Doofenshmirtz would've made something like this, out of frustration of there being so many languages to learn and needing to hire translators.

Even his owners would've made something like this too, but not out of spite, but sheer curiosity, possibly even share it with others.

"Oh god, Phineas…Ferb…I'm so sorry," he sobbed, his throat sore from his earlier screaming and crying.

"Who are they?" the voice asked again, starting to wonder if he was going insane.

"What does it matter?" he muttered, willing to accept madness for company than complete loneliness. "They're gone, Anax…she…she murdered them. All of them, our entire universe, dimension, however the fuck you look at it or call it, they're all gone."

"Are you positive?"

"Yes I'm fucking positive!" he shouted, taking notice that he wasn't hearing things, that someone was _actually_ talking to him.

"You never know, they could still be alive. Those bombs are new, Anax may be a genius, but even _she_ has flaws. I doubt the bombs could've destroyed everything on their first usage. Trying to make a bomb that rips the fabric of time and space, literally making something that is capable of making others cease to exist. A bomb that destroys a realm in such a manner where not even the gods can fix it…"

"_That's_ what she was making?"

"Yes…"

"But I've heard they've been using them more and more."

"I know, but what I presume to be your first arrival, she hadn't. Meaning whatever she used as her first tests, they didn't do as she hoped. She had to go back and find out what she did wrong in order to perfect them."

"Even if they weren't, there's no way a couple of kids could survive that sort of destruction. I don't care how smart they are, they're just kids…"

"Maybe not on their own, these people, obviously they would have enemies for the evil they wrought onto us and millions others."

"Yeah, so?"

"Maybe heroes came just in time and saved them? I've heard it's happened before, hearing soldiers who fight willingly here cursing the enemy's leader."

"Even if they're alive still, I can never go back to them."

"How so?"

"I used to look like a platypus, a cute little platypus they adopted when we were all practically babies. I don't look remotely like my old self other than hair and eyes, but that wouldn't be enough to have them recognize me, I'm sure of it."

"What about memories? So long as you carry memories, they'll recognize you."

"Doesn't matter, not only did I have humans, where I lived, I was an agent. Even if my humans were gone, but my boss wasn't, I couldn't return to him. Doesn't matter if he found something for me to do, I'm so fucked up in the head now."

"Aren't we all?"

"Fuck you."

"Look, I know the hell you're going through, but at least you have the chance to carry hope that they're alive."

"How so?"

"I watched my pups murdered before me…"

"What?"

"I…I used to be a jackal, back where I lived. I wasn't anything special. I wasn't an agent like you had been. I had no actual house to live in with humans caring for me. I lived in the wild, in a den with others of my kind. I was carrying, had five pups inside me when I finally gave birth here."

"Oh god…I'm so sorry…I…"

"It's fine; at least you have a chance to continue hoping. When I was able to understand, becoming like this, my poor pups scared and confused of why their mama looked different from them… Anax, that horrible, horrible human child, she told me I was to work for her, that I _belonged_ to her, to her mother."

"What did you do?"

"I was still mostly animal, mentally at least, and I did what any animal would. I attacked, I aimed to tear her throat out, but I stopped when I heard gun shots. Two of my pups had holes in their head, so I went to protect the rest, only to get pinned and forced to watch as they were stomped and beaten to death."

Perry held a hand to his mouth, feeling sick as he listened, a cold sweat breaking out all over him.

"I was one of the first experimented on, so I'm not perfect in looking entirely human, but I'm close enough. Those twisted bastards got what they wanted out of me by finishing my _transformation_ alone."

Hearing that, he hesitantly got up, pushing the bile back down his throat as he walked to the edge of the cell.

He was careful not to touch the bars, they were electrically charged, a method to keep people in. Although, he doubted it was electricity alone for all after the creatures he's seen now, knowing such a current wouldn't faze some.

Glancing around, he saw a tail carefully sweeping through the bars, almost beckoning him. Following the tail, he spotted a woman leaning against the wall, arms crossed over her bandaged chest.

Her top was tied around her waist, revealing a well-toned figure, albeit a little thinner, likely having starved herself as often as he had done.

She had a deep almond skin laced with bruises and some bandages from injuries, unsure if they were self-inflicted or not.

Her hair was long, hanging loose over her, almost shadowing her face if she didn't push the strands back.

Her face was pretty, though it too was covered with bruises and such from the abuse she's had to endure. What caught his attention were the gold, animalistic eyes staring straight into him as his red ones stared back.

They were close, but not close enough to hold hands, not even touch her tail, but close enough to see the canine ears on her head, tail swishing away still.

"Shame that you don't have your tail anymore. It would've looked cute on you like this," she joked dryly, clearly sympathizing with the loss, knowing she could've lost hers at any moment as well.

"Shut up…" he grumbled, wishing he could lean against the bars, not wanting to lose sight of her just yet. "But why would they take me though? They know everything about me, my fears, my likes, dislikes, my strengths and weaknesses. Why would they take me and try to make me fight for them knowing I wouldn't ever submit?"

"Who knows, they're sick freaks," she sighed as she slumped to the floor, knees drawn up, tail wrapping around her.

Mimicking her, minus tail, the two of them sat in silence, simply staring at one another, seemingly content with that for now.

Eventually it broke when she stared at the once platypus, "I go by the name, Nerea by the way."

"Name you had before coming here?"

"Yeah, probably the only thing I have left of my old life next to my tail and ears."

"I'm Perry…"

"Name given to you by your owners?"

"Yeah, though when they first adopted me, they were going to name me Bartholomew first. But I think we can all agree that Perry's a _much_ cooler name," he joked softly, recalling their first meeting.

"What makes them so special aside from taking care of you? I've seen others who had homes like you, but they never carried as much love as you do for them."

"They're both beautiful in their own way. Phineas, he's a shining star, always bright, optimistic, creative and funny. Ferb, he's mostly silent, but he gets his point across from simple actions or a few choice words whenever he did speak. Both are inventors, always building something from roller coasters to submarines."

"And these are boys?"

"Yes, I know it sounds crazy, but they're talented, they could've changed an entire world when given the chance. And in some ways, they have done so. They certainly changed mine the moment I entered their lives."

Feeling tears prickling his eyes, he let them freely fall, a bitter smile on his face as he recalled all the adventures they had, even if they weren't directly together.

One of the greatest had to be when they were in the second dimension, fighting his nemesis' parallel-self side by side for once.

It was one of the most dangerous missions he's ever had, yet also the most fun he's ever gotten with his humans. Now those photos are gone, his locket gone, his fedora gone, everything was gone.

"I don't want to be here," he sobbed softly, resting his face into his knees, hugging them tighter. "I don't want to kill anyone, innocent people especially. I rather die than do something so horrible."

"They won't let you die that easily though," another voice spoke up, a haunting laugh echoing, making the platypus shiver.

"Fuck off, he wasn't talking to you!" Nerea snarled, already on her feet, glaring at whoever was talking.

It sounded like that person was right next to him, meaning he had a neighbor he couldn't see, only hear.

"He better get used to it unless he wants to become someone's fuck toy," the voice laughed louder, sounding almost insane.

"I said fuck off!"

"What does he mean?"

Seeing the almost childlike innocence, the jackal gave him a sad look, realizing just how young he must be.

"For those who are deemed weak for fighting, medicine, anything, they're usually shipped off to brothels."

"How do you know this?"

"I've heard it from countless soldiers, prisoners who were captured and sent there briefly before sent here when finding they had immense strength in some manner. It's a horror show from what I've heard."

"Not only do they rape men and women there, but children as well," the laughing man added, getting yelled at by Nera once more.

"Oh god, please don't let my boys be there, don't let them be there," Perry wailed louder, his tears dry, but the sound continued.

"They aren't there, if what you said is true, that they're smart; they would've found a way to escape."

"I doubt it, kids are stupid, Anax is just a fucked up freak of nature," the laughing man chortled, sounding more serious.

"Fuck is wrong with you?"

"Nothing's wrong, just decided I know what to do and giving advice to the crybaby next door. And sweetheart, if I were you, take mine too."

Neither knew what he meant before Nerea's eyes widened, letting out a terrified howl loud enough to draw attention.

Perry stared in horror as soldiers came in, the jackal screaming in terror, covering her eyes in absolute fear.

He heard the cell next door being opened up followed by some cursing, ready to look before Nerea shouted at him not too.

That's when it clicked; the guy next door committed suicide, right in front of _her_, with _him_ next door. It had to have been something that would've worked fast when hearing the soldiers making rude remarks about the mess.

After that, he felt mostly numb, horrified as days, weeks passed by, hearing that several more ended their lives.

Cells that were once empty were quickly filled again with new victims, confused and scared as everyone else here was.

Those that didn't die were taken away, some still struggling, but wearing bands, Nerea confirming they were being brought to the brothels.

Others that were grabbed with different bands, but still struggled, he got no answer, the jackal silent.

It was enough to confirm that those people were going to be executed or used in horrendous experiments, likely testing new poisons and such.

But what made his heart sink was watching those who finally broke, completely giving up and now wearing uniforms.

They lost what made them willful, believing whatever lies given that this was the right choice, the _only_ choice to make.

He didn't know whether to call it Stockholm or cowardice when seeing once scared faces filled with malice and insanity.

He didn't want to end up like those, but even he had to admit, he wasn't going to last much longer.

They were trying to drive information out of him, force him to train new recruits his fighting style and observation skills.

He refused, always refused even when they gunned down people in front of him, he continued to refuse.

It made him sick that he was willing to have people die just to protect the secrets of the agency, but knew it was more than that.

He couldn't let these monsters win, but was it right to have people die like that?

He felt his mind beginning to slip, wondering when the time will come and he'll stop thinking about his boys.

When will he forget their voices, their smiles, their eyes, the color of their hair?

He doesn't want to forget, but the longer he stayed here, the more he felt lost, knowing whether they were alive or not, he won't be able to return to them.

So long as he's here, what made him their pet; made him the top agent to protect innocent people will be dead soon.

He had to find a way out of here, even if it…

Perry shuddered, thinking about what the laughing man must've done, knowing how horrified Nerea had been at the sight.

But he couldn't stand another second here, not while there's still a chance he could slip away and become the very thing he hates.

Looking around, he had to find something that would help him, recalling the dirty mirror he's used to shave a few times, monitoring him before taking the stuff when he was done.

He briefly wondered why they'd even let them keep those aside from the obvious, as if they didn't think no one would try.

Knowing the noise it'll make, he smashed his fist as hard as he could into it, shattering it into hundreds of pieces.

"Perry?" Nerea called out, alarmed by the sharp noise. "Perry!"

He ignored her, knowing if he talked, even responded, he'll break down again, taking a handful of the pieces with him, gripping them as tightly as he could.

Sitting on the cot, he stared at them, seeing his reflection on the bloodied shards, his face showing a broken man, not a proud agent.

He had to end this while he was still himself!

Ripping his shirt off, not caring about the mess, he stared at his arm, dragging a piece across the flesh.

He bit back a cry, tears leaking out from the pain as he finished, watching the blood trickle down in heavy rivers.

"Perry please, talk to me! Don't do this!"

Murmurs could be heard, other prisoners hearing, some quiet, mournful of what must be happening, others ignoring the event.

"Don't throw your life away goddammit!"

Slicing his other arm, he stared at the wall in front of him, tears blurring his vision, arms aching from what he's done.

"I'm sorry Nerea," he finally answered, his voice sounding so broken and soft. "I can't take it, I don't want to end up like them. I don't want to lose who I am. If I'm going to die, I'd rather die while I'm me, not a monster."

He let his head drop down, staring at the bleeding limbs, knowing if he didn't bleed out fast enough, he'll be found and saved.

He'll get a beating, possibly shipped off to one of those brothels if deemed weak, forced to endure hours of more agony and humiliation to top it off.

"You're not a monster, you could never become one!" Nerea sobbed, ignoring the electricity as she gripped the bars. "You have your boys to think about! Think about them, what would they say if they saw you like this? Saw you giving up when you could be back with them?"

"I don't even know if they're alive…no I'm positive that they're gone. That guy was right, they _are_ kids. It doesn't matter how smart they are with their inventions, they're still kids. They died, completely oblivious to their surroundings, not realizing what was happening until it was too late. They died never knowing who I really was, never getting to grow up and _really_ live life to its fullest."

"What about others? You said you had a nemesis, what if he's alive? You two had a mutual friendship; he had limits to his so called evilness. What would he say?"

"Who the fuck cares, he's like a bigger kid most of the time!"

"Then what about everyone here?"

* * *

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	5. Chapter 5

He half expected her to say something more along the lines for herself, wanting to get up and ask her again, but he was starting to become lightheaded.

"What…what do you mean?" he asked, unsure if he should really know.

"Out of all of us, you have actual skills. You're the only one here who's had any real training before coming here, before being tortured. Use them!"

"How?"

"I don't know you're the secret agent here!" she half screamed, having since released her hold on the bars.

They were burnt badly, knowing she'll need treatment as much as she hates the very thought of it. For now, she ignored the pain; focusing solely on the only person she dared to consider as a friend.

"We've all heard the stories of the Shadow Queen, of her Alchemy Knight fighting these people. If you can get out of here, you can save all of us. She might even know where your boys are, your nemesis, boss, friends, everyone you love. If they're alive, you can finally go back to them, and if not…if not at least you get some closure."

"What am I doing?" he whispered, letting her words penetrate his brain, realization dawning on him.

He _could_ get out of here; he just never bothered to even think about trying. He was too focused on his own terrors and moping to think clearly.

He couldn't believe how selfish he was acting, knowing that this wasn't who he is, what he trained to become.

He may not have his boys, may never have them again, but he could never look them in the eye if they did meet again.

He wouldn't be able to live, exist as a spirit even if he took such a cowardly way out as he is.

No, he couldn't leave Nerea behind, all these people and who knows how many others trapped within these walls either.

His head clearing up, knowing he had time before he lost to much blood, knowing he must look so pale.

Sure, he's heard about others who've tried escaping, a few being right where he and Nerea have been living for so long now.

When asked, he learned that one of them was a man, having once been a duck, bearing a thick accent having made an escape attempt. From what he heard, the former duck had apparently seduced one of the passing guards to steal the keys safely.

Perry didn't want to think how long that must've had to go on, not wanting to imagine that poor man basically selling his body in order to try and escape. More so as it had failed when he did make his move, hardly getting far, never heard from again.

He had to think fast before he lost too much blood and lost complete consciousness, the gears whirling away in his head.

"That's it," he whispered, formulating a plan that he's putting into action right now, praying to whatever god or gods out there will let it work.

Forcing his legs to work, he got up, fishing through the broken shards clumsily in the sink, collecting a number of them.

Pleased with the amount and their sizes, he grabbed up the torn shreds of his shirt, wrapping them up into a tight bundle.

Gulping slightly, he ran them under water, silently grateful that when he smashed the mirror, he injured himself. The blood would help hide the timeframe when the water goes on; at least that's what he's hoping.

When feeling the bundle was nice and wet, squeezing it just a little to remove excess water, he shakily pulled his bloodied pants down.

Ignoring how embarrassing it was, he spread himself, pushing the bundle, mindful of how much force. He didn't need a shard poking out, or worse, the whole thing somehow unraveling, carving him up inside.

He panted, a strange sense of pleasure mixing with the pain, shaking his head as he finished inserting it.

Just deep enough so no one sees them, but not enough where he wouldn't be able to grab it when ready, he just hoped they aren't found beforehand.

It was unorthodox, a dangerous method even, but he was running out of options fast, time ticking away faster and faster with every drop of blood.

Managing to ignore how weird it felt with something inside, he pulled his pants back up, praying no one finds the concealed glass.

"Nerea…I'm sorry, I don't want to die anymore. So please, scream for help, please, I'm begging you," Perry begged, feeling himself slump against the wall.

He was so tired, feeling his vision growing heavy, echoes of Nerea screaming his name growing distant every passing second.

Unsure when he passed out, he found himself awake, the light sounds of dripping, spotting an IV bag set up next to his bed.

Recalling what he did, what his plan of action was now that he landed here successfully than left to rot, he rose into a sitting position.

He stared down at the bandages, flinching at how raw they felt, knowing he must've been out for a few days.

Not daring himself into peeking at the damage he caused, he focused on the removal of the IVs, ready to jump out of the bed.

He was mildly surprised that he wasn't hooked up to a heart monitor, then again, with how these people worked; they likely stabilized him where it wasn't necessary.

Instead, they just left him in here to rest and would later fetch him once he regained enough strength and do who knows what to him.

He stopped moving though when feeling something brushing inside him, recalling what he did prior to blacking out.

"They didn't find it," he whispered softly to himself, mixed emotions running through him that his half-baked plan might _actually_ be working.

Chewing his bottom lip a little, he glanced around, making sure that no one was watching that there _really_ weren't any cameras, his training assisting him once more.

Once assured he was in the clear, he forced himself up long enough to once more let his pants slide off his hips.

With trembling, weak hands, he repeated the process of stretching himself with one hand, fingers reaching inside.

Not once did he stop blushing, nor did he stop glancing around, struggling to stay alert and not fall into the strange pleasantness the action brought.

He had to be _absolutely_ careful, one small slip up and he'll be in a sense carving his name on the inside, and he did enough of that already with his arms.

He felt what little color he had drain when feeling that a piece of the mirror had somehow gotten free, starting to fall out of its cocoon.

Before he could react, with one hand, he yanked the rest out, clenching his fist around it to prevent more escaping, abandoning the piece briefly.

He stretched himself again, using as much strength as he could to do the job as he worked getting the rogue piece out of him.

The entire time he was wishing he had thought it more through when doing this in back in his cell. Then again, he _did_ lose a lot of blood, so he wasn't thinking as clearly as he should have when coming up with this.

Relieved getting it out finally, he barely suppressed a yelp when he accidentally cut himself on his inner thigh.

He glanced down at the damage, finding it was shallow, but stung just as horribly as when he had been cutting his arms.

Although, he'd much rather have that than inside his rectum any day, knowing he could easily die bleeding out or from an infection. But he was even more grateful that the piece that escaped was small, so chances of hurting himself were very minimal thanks to his efforts.

Part of him still couldn't believe he actually did that and it actually worked, guess it showed how desperate he is and how much these people under estimated him.

It was risky, but he scanned the room, finding some trays and drawers, opening them as carefully as he could without making much noise.

But before doing any of that, out of instinct even back as an animal, he thoroughly washed his hands. It was mostly to remove some of the blood that stuck even under his chewed nails when glancing at them.

Never did he think he would become such a vicious nail biter…

Shaking his head, he focused on the main task, searching for what he may and would need before the next move. Medical supplies were needed, not just for his arms and thigh, but any future injuries as well.

Getting what he needed, taking a pillow case from the bed, careful not to go crazy in his scavenging. He didn't want too much to carry that could slow him down, or make it hard for him to hide if he had duck into a tight space.

Sure, he didn't need the broken mirror shards as much anymore, but he kept them regardless as a precaution, he could slam a few or all into someone's face if cornered.

It would also protect what he collected from tweezers to a couple of simple knifes and scissors, mostly for the stitches.

Stepping into the halls, he felt a tremor of fear, bare feet padding softly on the stone floor, a much different feel from previous footwear.

This was it, he knew the halls were like a maze; he had to tread carefully, pick ones with many doors he has a chance to duck into to hide if he heard voices.

He needed to keep quiet, even using some bottles he found to conceal his scent, especially his blood.

He had to get out of here and find the rumored heroes, the Shadow Queen and her Alchemy Knight, supposedly the two most powerful or most influential.

He had to find them, not just for his sake, but for Nerea and every other poor soul trapped here, both figuratively and literally.

After testing a few doors, one made him regret opening it, cursing how air tight it is to block out the horrid smells inside to warn him beforehand.

This particular room was filled with rotting corpses, likely dropped off to be picked up later for proper disposal.

So many were in pieces, knowing many were failed experiments, others being hostages based on the injuries he could see.

It made him sick to his stomach, forcing the bile down, knowing making such a mess was not in his best interest.

This could easily have been him amongst that pile if he had succeeded ending his life, something that still nagged and taunted in the back of his mind.

Shutting the door, trying to stay focused, he still felt the voice taunting him to finish the job right now than delay it.

The agent had to ignore that awful voice, knowing it'll be his downfall if he considered those words again. He may consider it _after_ he's out of here, has found the heroes and he considers his mission complete.

Searching several more rooms, finding some were empty or if occupied, the user was heavily sedated so was fast asleep or to drugged up to really notice.

However, against his better judgment, one room kept him occupied for several hours he was sure.

This particular room held dozens of file cabinets, in turn held _written_ files than computerized for his red eyes to wander over.

He could only assume these were kept as backups, knowing the agency did the same in case of emergencies.

As he searched, regretfully having to use a couple of the lesser surgical tools to pick the lock carefully, ruining them when seeing how scuffed up they were.

Searching through, he eventually found files from his world, starting with his very own, eyes beginning to water.

Blinking them back, not wanting to start breaking down again he saw photos of his old life, reading his own history.

He even resisted the urge to rip those photos out and them with him, knowing if he did and someone found out, it'd reveal his escape. If it hadn't been found out already that is, though doubted it based on minimal activity going on.

He was just grateful that there weren't cameras hiding in the halls and rooms, figuring that they likely rely more on this reiatsu he's heard about.

If things had been the same still, he would've scoffed at their beliefs using the supernatural, but he doesn't anymore, having seen it himself in action.

He just prayed that he doesn't get found out on through his own spiritual energy, that concealing his scent alone is enough.

Putting his file away, he decided to see what else was there, finding other names he recognized from town or his work.

Most were small in regards of usefulness, anger and relief they didn't find his boys useful. He didn't think he could live with himself if they were here somewhere, forced to turn their inventions into something evil. Twisting those innocent children into monsters he feared becoming, fears he may still become.

However, when finding one from his agency, he felt his jaw drop at who else had been taken, horror filling his very being.

"Oh god, they got you too," he gasped, reading the files.

He felt tears prickling his eyes as he read the _"completed"_ experiment's fate, learning that like him, he fought and refused to submit and hurt innocent lives.

Even then, he did show promise, but was also rather weak, his body having difficulty adjusting to his new strength, or lack of.

Therefore, he had been shipped off to a brothel, and judging by how beautiful he now looked as a human, he was sadly going to be popular.

"Oh Peter…"

Reading through more files, morbid curiosity of whom else went through the torture, he nearly broke down completely.

He felt his heart drop to the pit of his stomach when finding his old nemesis' files, vision blurring with tears he struggled to restrain.

He felt like throwing up as he read the man was used for experiments as well, though what it was, it was mostly blacked out, clearly revealing its importance.

The only thing he could guess on the cruelty done to him were the photos taken of his once enemy, practically friend.

There were files on his life, what he did, but it didn't matter based on the current files, showing the man with a defeated look.

It wasn't stated if what was done to him had been completed or not, but did reveal enough that it was important, far more than what was done to him.

But the look in those blue eyes, the hope for escape, to do evil was washed away, breaking the agent's heart into thousands of pieces.

He felt his hand clenching, nearly ripping the files apart, his blood boiling to such levels, the suicidal thoughts long gone.

He was going to make these monsters pay for what they did to Heinz, what they've done to Peter, to everyone he cares about!

Once he calmed down and managing to return the files to where they belonged, he slipped out of the room, going down another hallway.

He cursed that he didn't have a notepad and pen to write what he found down, having found nothing of the sort in his room or the others in his search.

But he has an excellent memory, even if he doesn't remember every little detail, he would remember enough, namely those haunting pictures.

With renewed determination, he sought his escape, knowing he had to escape more than ever if he wished to save anyone.

Just as he was about to make another corner in the endless halls, he let out a silent gasp when hearing footsteps.

Managing to find a door, remembering checking it only minutes ago, finding it was a storage closet. So he ducked inside, pressing himself against the wall, his bag sitting next to his feet as close to the wall as it'd allow.

He was using everything he learned to keep his location unknown, readying a piece of glass to fight with. He ignored the stinging sensation as it began to cut into his flesh, hopefully not drawing blood just yet.

He could feel the blood pounding in his head, his heart pounding loudly in his chest, making him feel faint, but his resolve stayed, keeping focused.

"They haven't searched this section yet. If you want to get out, follow these directions and use the transporter to go anywhere you think you'll feel safe. But I _highly_ suggest this area," a slightly high voice belonging to a young man explained.

When hearing that voice, he could feel the honest emotion in them, reminding him of the doctor who taught him how to talk and use his new body.

The difference between the two was mostly accents.

The doctor had an American accent, possibly southern though very light than deep and drawling. This one on the other hand, his accent was foreign, Asian if he recalls from some agents who came from other countries to work for them.

Footsteps echoed once more, leaving the former platypus to nearly tear the door open, wanting to see who it was.

Just as he stumbled into the hall, he only caught a glimpse of short red hair, figure small and very thin from the clothes he wore.

Perry could see that his hands were buried deep into his pockets, watching in silence as the mystery man turned a corner.

He barely caught a glimpse of his misery filled gold and red eyes, the rest of his face kept neutral and unfeeling.

"Thank you," he whispered softly, not sure if he heard him or not.

But something inside him told him that the other may know his undying gratitude regardless if he heard it or not.

Seeing that look on his face, while most would think he was heartless, the agent knew it was the opposite. He was a broken man, his will just about withered away to nothing, yet something kept him going than surrendering completely.

All he could think of was that he might have loved ones, having them used as blackmail to keep him here, keep him from escaping or even ending his life.

Taking a hesitant step, he heard something crinkle, looking down when moving his foot, finding a piece of paper.

Picking it up, he felt his blood run cold when seeing the coppery liquid scrawled across, giving directions and coordinates. He had to be careful not to rub his fingers across the lightly damp sheet, afraid to smear the text.

The redhead injured himself in order to write this, though as for what he used, he wasn't sure and honestly didn't want to think about it right now.

Careful in his steps, he found the room where the transporters were held, the sight reminding him of his boys.

"This _would_ be something they'd build," he joked dryly with himself, "or have built already."

They were different from what Heinz and the boys built, knowing the three would never have remembered, at least not without some device to draw them out.

Glancing at the machines, he searched for a keypad, finding it off to one side of the room, working fast. He was sure a place like this has cameras, unsure if they were being monitored or not right now.

He began punching in numbers, matching them to what was written, praying that he wasn't being duped.

Not like he could turn back now, either trust his gut that the redhead wanted to help him or risk capture and possible death.

Soon as he hit the final button as the instructions gave, he felt the machine come to life, his body wrapped in electrical pulses and lights.

He felt his body being broken down and apart, his entire being going numb, his vision blacking out momentarily.

Second he snapped his eyes opened, he was on the cold hard earth, dry heaving on the ground, spit and some stomach acid pouring out as he tried to calm himself.

Glancing to his side, he found the note given to him, only it was smeared in mud from the wet ground, the sheet beyond saving. Giving a sigh, he grabbed the pillow case, grateful for getting what was inside.

He wasn't sure why, but knew if he was going to find these heroes, he needs to get himself help first. But where could he go without making himself sound insane?

He could try a homeless shelter since he has no money, no social security, nothing but his memories. However, whatever world he's in, they may not believe him, not knowing the kind of danger they could possibly be in.

Just as he became lost in his thoughts, he snapped his head up, hearing voices, very _familiar_ voices, making his tired eyes widen.

Following the source, he found them, his body frozen in place, tears forming as he watched them, completely unaware of his presence.

Could it…can they really…

It had to be true…the redhead knew, he somehow knew that they were alive and gave him a chance to return to them.

The redhead, he was some sort of angel sent to help him; he just had to be, to give him such a blessed chance.

"Ph-Phineas! Ferb! Candace!" he sobbed towards their retreating backs.

He was praying that they'll recognize him, take him back, love him the way they always did before this hell broke loose.

He couldn't help but cry harder when seeing how miserable and dirty they looked, Phineas especially despite looking more confused than miserable. But he knew his boy well, he could read him perfectly, possibly better than the boy could read himself.

He looked at the very boy he loved so dearly, wanting to protect him from just about anything that came their way, willing to kill to protect him.

He looked so lost and broken; it tore him apart seeing the child like this. All he wanted to do now was take that pain away any way he can.

"Who-who are you?"

"It's me, Perry."

* * *

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	6. Chapter 6

"P-P-Perry?" Phineas gasped, making the other stare at him with hope.

However, the boy instant began delivering such a hateful glare, it felt like a dagger in the teal haired man's heart.

"You can't be him! He's a platypus!"

"It _is_ me; just ask me anything only the Perry you know would know. Please!" he begged, falling to his knees, tears soaking his filthy face.

Somehow, the boy felt it was Perry; the color of the hair matched the fur of his precious pet perfectly. Even the eyes matched his beloved pet, seeing the terrified look, remembering when he first brought the little guy home.

"What happened…what happened when we brought you home? And who was living at the household at the time? And what kind of collar was given?"

"You're not seriously believing him?" Isabella questioned, ready to pull her friend away from what looked like a madman.

She felt Ferb grab her shoulders, stopping her from pulling the boy away as he took a few steps forward.

"It was at a shelter. You, Ferb, Candace, and your parents, Lawrence and Linda, all of you were there looking for a new pet. You picked me out of all the puppies and kittens, even lizards that were there," he sobbed softly, sniffling as he struggled to control himself, wiping at his face.

"Oh my god," Candace gasped as she listened.

"You were originally going to name me Bartholomew before changing it to Perry when bringing me home. The collar, it was a gold locket in the shape of a webbed foot. It opened up into three sections, each having a photo of myself, Ferb, and you inside when we were little. See? I remember it all, please believe me."

The redhead's eyes widened, not believing what he heard as he found himself running into others arms, sobbing into his chest.

"Oh god…Perry! It is you, I thought you were dead! I thought I'd never see you ever again."

"I thought so too, I thought you were all killed," the teal haired man sobbed, rubbing the boy's back gently.

Feeling a second pair of arms cling to him, finding it was Ferb, he pulled him into his arms, letting the British boy finally let go and cry.

"I can't believe it…what happened to you?" the teenager asked, feeling warm tears flow down her face.

She knew that it had to be their pet, he remembered things no one else could have known, knowing they were the only ones in that building aside the clerk.

But it wasn't that alone, the look in his eyes, the way Ferb quickly let down his wall, openly crying into his arms. It just had to be Perry, only he and Phineas could get the green haired boy to let his guard down so easily.

"You don't want to know…" the teal haired man whispered just loud enough for her to hear.

He gave the boys one last hug before the three pulled apart, doing what he could to help wipe their faces clean along with his own face.

"Let's get you back and cleaned up. Phineas? Ferb? Think you two could show him the way?" she asked, knowing her brothers were in good hands.

"Sure thing, Candace," the youngest answered, giving her a smile, a real smile, not realizing he had been hiding his pain.

It was something that lifted everyone's spirits; all due to the platypus turned human's return. Just his appearance alone gave them hope that they just might find more familiar faces, reuniting with loved ones.

Handing the bags they had to the boys, she knew what they had; it wouldn't be enough with another joining the picture. She would have to use a little bit of money she had to buy some actual food, real food judging his scrawny appearance.

But it wasn't that alone that made her willing to spend more, she saw the bandages, seeing they were beginning to bleed through.

Part of her felt that the bag he had might carry some supplies, but wouldn't feel right not getting a few things in case she was wrong.

Who knows what other injuries he has, what he must've had to endure before finding them?

With the boys, the three were chatting a bit, or more two were, Phineas occasionally breaking out into another sobbing fit.

Despite the pain in his arms, the agent picked the small boy up, carrying him on his hip, letting him sob into his shirt, clinging to the fabric with all his might.

The boy felt so tiny in his arms, yet so safe at the same time, allowing him to settle as he still clung to the filthy shirt.

While he wanted to hold Ferb's hand, with all the bags they were carrying, it was impossible, but the child stayed close regardless. He was always an understanding boy, having taken the bags his brother carried with his own.

"Phineas, who's that?" Jeremy questioned when the three arrived, the teal haired man looking around questionably, appearing worried.

"You're not going to believe it, but it's Perry! I don't know how he looks like this, but it's him! We're sure of it, even Candace is sure!" the redhead chirped so happily, a large grin plastered on his face as he was set down.

He snuggled into the man, arms wrapped around the waist, feeling so content with having his pet turned human back in his life.

"Are you sure?" the blonde asked, hoping the boys aren't being duped, that the redhead hadn't finally cracked.

"Phineas questioned him when we had doubt and his answer was more than enough," Ferb explained his voice cracking slightly as he tried to hold it together.

"But _how_ did you turn human? And what happened to you?" the blonde questioned softly.

He didn't doubt what the boys said, somehow having this gut feeling that this man wasn't faking them. This guy wasn't trying to play them, wasn't insane despite how ragged he looked, how broken he looked.

Realizing how the other shifted, decided now wasn't the time to start pestering him, not with the boys around, Phineas especially.

"We should get you cleaned up and into something cleaner until we can get some proper clothes on you. And…I don't know much about medicine, but we should see how bad your arms are."

"My arms are fine, they hurt a little…but they should be fine. I rather wait until the others get back if you're that desperate to check on my arms. Being a Fireside girl, I presume Isabella would have the most knowledge when it comes to medicine."

"Yeah, that's true; she did a pretty good job patching us up when we took a hard tumble. Just a shame that we don't remember what happened or how we got here, or where we are even," Phineas piped up softly.

"You mean, this isn't Danville?"

"No, I'm afraid not. And we don't know where Mom and Dad are. Do you know, Perry?" he spoke looking up at the other with hopeful eyes.

"I…" the teal haired man began, unsure how to answer.

However, the blonde sensed his uneasiness, shooing the boys away, telling them to get enough water set up for a proper bath.

He even sent them off to find some clothes they stored, hoping they'll fit him long enough until they get something proper.

"Thanks," Perry sighed with some relief.

"You know something don't you?"

From the few times he's gotten to see Jeremy, either a quick glance while on a mission, or when he visited their home, he knew him enough to know how he ticked.

Despite how laid back and relaxed he looked most of the time, he was rather alert, making some of his escapes sometimes difficult if he was present.

He could only assume he was like that because he had a little sister, but unlike Candace who let her brothers' antics drive her nuts, he lets his sister be. Because of it, he doesn't get to see how much of a hellion Suzy is when others try to tell him about her antics and whatnot.

However, unlike all those times before, this was a first for the former platypus saw the blonde look so serious.

It didn't matter how ragged the teenager looked, bags hanging under his eyes, clothes loose on his frame, probably having lost some weight.

"You may not believe it, but I was kidnapped for an experiment that led to me looking like this…"

From there, he explained as much as he could remember, as much as he knew from what he heard and been told.

He could see the boy's eyes widen in horror of what he heard, starting to regret in telling him, traumatizing him possibly.

"Oh god, so you're saying that…that Danville might be gone forever? Everyone but us…they could be dead?"

Tears were forming in the blonde's eyes, thinking of his little sister, his parents, everyone he cared about.

"No…Suzy, she can't be dead. She just can't be."

Leaning his head down into his knees, he began sobbing, his fists buried into his dirty hair struggling not to start howling.

He felt arms wrap around him, pulling his face up to look the broken being's eyes, he cried harder as did he, leaning into one another.

The teenager could feel soothing circles on his back, reminding him of his mom when she'd comfort him from a bad dream or a scrape on the knee.

"We don't know; she might've gotten lucky like you guys and is safe with others from Danville. We just have to find this Shadow Queen or even her Alchemy Knight so we can finally get some answers. Whoever, whatever they are, they should help us. It's their job apparently."

"You're right, she has to be alive. I just know it, she's a tough cookie. Suzy's alive as are my parents. I mean, look at us, we're alive somehow. Even you managed to survive, so others had to have as well."

"That's the spirit," the platypus smiled softly.

He could feel his heart swell, wishing he could thank Nerea for snapping him out of his selfish misery. If it wasn't for her, he wouldn't have gained the courage to even start his escape. Then there was the redheaded angel who gave him a map made from his blood, leading him here.

"You know, strange thing is, while I despise what was done to me, it's already turning into my favor."

"What do you mean?"

"I can actually help take care of you guys, act as your legal guardian than forced into hiding nonstop."

"That's one good thing," the blonde laughed before seeing a mop of red hair, grabbing the other's attention.

"We got the water set, so a bath's ready, but it might be a little cold, no electricity or proper plumbing," Phineas explained with a sheepish grin.

From what they could tell, he obviously didn't hear the conversation, having arrived just after the two older boys pulled away from the hug.

Both have calmed themselves enough, the older of the two having tear streaks still, but he had them already, so they went unnoticed.

As for the younger male, he had already dried his eyes enough to avoid questions right away from the boys.

"Thanks, Phineas," the platypus thanked as he was guided to the filled tub.

He slowly stripped, unsure how the boy may react to the various cuts on his body, but glad the boy had turned to give him some privacy, same with Ferb.

The only one who didn't was Jeremy, the blonde helping him when he nearly stumbled, wincing slightly when spreading his legs somewhat to escape the pants.

He didn't think he's feel this sore, then again, how often does someone stick something up their ass?

Once stripped completely save for the bandages on his arms, he was helped into the tub, shuddering at the cold water.

Slowly, he eased into it as he adjusted, gasping softly when the cut on his thigh stung followed by a sharp twinge from his still tender rectum.

He let himself sit in the water, shivering at the coldness, but he knew he had to deal with it, Phineas and the others apparently had to for a while now.

Just as he began to start washing himself, he felt a pair of small arms wrap around him from behind, hot tears dripping onto his shoulder.

He knew exactly who it was, turning his head slightly to see the mop of red hair, making him smile softly.

"You don't have to cry anymore. Just as you protected me when I was little… I'm going to do a better job protecting you from now on. I won't let you out of my sight _ever_ again; I'm not going to lose you, Ferb, Candace, or anyone we care about. I'll keep all of you safe from now on."

"What do you mean?" the redhead looked up at his humanized pet, puzzled over what he meant.

"There's a lot more to me than you thought. It'll help explain so much of the days, nights even where I'd disappear and reappear almost magically," the teal haired man sighed, using one arm to hug the boy, nuzzling his face into the hair.

"You can tell me, I won't be mad. If you were doing good things, then why should I be mad?" the redhead practically chirped.

Feeling tears forming in his eyes once more, he looked down into the water, watching his reflection.

"I did do good deeds; I was a secret agent stationed to protect the people of Danville among a few other animals. When I was on duty, I was known as Agent P, though most knew my actual name, but they never knew where I lived. That's why I had to keep it a secret though. I couldn't bear the thought of endangering you and the others. I couldn't risk being ripped away from your lives if you found out somehow."

"Perry…"

He knew he risked a lot telling the redhead this much, with others in the room to hear him, but looking into those blue eyes, he couldn't take it anymore.

What the monsters tried to do, trying to extract information from him, this sweet child succeeded. It was like a floodgate finally opened and couldn't be closed, even when he tore his eyes away from the others.

Before he knew it, he began telling the redhead everything, all the missions he did, even telling him about how the second dimension. He didn't think it should be kept from him, explaining why no one but him remembered that event with the same reason he never told the boys in the first place.

As he explained everything, he felt the redhead clean his back, listening to his every word. Whenever he paused, it was to make a happy remark or start laughing at any humorous incidents that happened. The funniest the boy had to like was the dress incident and that Candace's dress was technically his pet's.

Perry couldn't help but smile as he started to wash himself, finding it somewhat odd, but comforting being washed like this.

Sure, Phineas _really_ shouldn't be doing this, he wasn't a pet anymore, but old habits die hard and he wasn't about to let it die right away.

He needed to feel like things are okay, that maybe, just maybe this is all a horrible dream and he'll wake up in bed with his boys.

But he knew it wasn't a dream, the dull throb in his arms reminded him as did the feel of his skin he touched or feeling Phineas' hands on his back.

The former platypus knew telling the boys everything was a risk, but also knew there was no point hiding it anymore. The agency is likely no more, so there's no worry of being relocated, being reassigned to another family.

Even if there _was_ some chance Monogram, Carl, anyone from the agency still existed, hadn't been captured and tortured, they would understand why he broke.

The only thing that did worry the teal haired youth was what Monogram or any of the others may do with him if they did reunite.

Would they let him retire in peace?

Would they wipe his memory or trust him not to spill anymore secrets?

Mentally shaking his head, he decided it was best not to dwell on it; it wasn't his top priority right now. He had much bigger things to worry about, and two of them were in this very room with him.

He thought back to the documents he read, thinking about Peter and Heinz, shuddering what hell they must be enduring still.

He was torn between praying they were safe to praying they were dead, not out of spite or jealously, but mercy.

Neither of them deserved being tormented like this, as he had been tormented so horrendously and for so long.

He shook his head again, not wanting to think about that as much as it pained him, he had to focus on the boys.

They were his priority right now next to finding the heroes, but his family was more important, he needed to ensure they were safe. He needed them more than ever for his sake as much as their own.

Eventually, he deemed himself clean enough, accepting a towel to wrap around his waist, shivering at the cold when another towel was handed to dry himself off.

When handed clothes, he asked for the pillow first, revealing its contents to the boys, Jeremy amazed by what was inside.

However, he and the younger boys gave the other privacy to tend to any small cuts he had, namely the one on his thigh. Once he was done, he began dressing, alerting them he was done save for a shirt that sat next to him.

The blonde had made it clear they needed to change the bandages, more so after the bath and seeing how red they looked, likely from over exerting himself.

Perry though was nervous, eyes darting towards the boys, knowing how they'd react, the redhead especially.

Understanding, he ushered them away much to Phineas' displeasure, Ferb understanding better, dragging his sibling off.

"Thanks," he whispered when the blonde grimaced at the stitched arms.

"So you really did try to kill yourself…"

"I was scared, weak, angry even after all I went through."

"Don't blame yourself, Perry. I probably would've done the same thing if I was in your shoes," the blonde comforted.

He used some creams and rubbing alcohol to clean the wounds, careful not to pull any stitches, apologizing when hearing the other whimper.

Once they were cleaned better and wrapped up, careful that they weren't too tight, especially when he moved his arms around, Perry finally threw the shirt on.

Afterwards, it was now a waiting game, eventually seeing the others showing up, the agent surprised that all of Phineas and Ferb's closest friends survived.

"So what are we going to do now? It's going to be harder to save up money with Perry here, no offense dude," Buford asked as they sat in a circle, money pulled out that they earned and have been saving.

They could see that the money they were saving, having gotten so close to their goal had now dwindled more than they wished.

"We're going to need a real place to stay sooner or later. We simply can't live on the streets, we're too large a group to even try and you kids would get caught once school starts," Perry sighed as he pondered over it.

"But what can we do though?" Baljeet whimpered, feeling the former platypus gently pet his head, comforting him a little.

"Just by my appearance and my voice even, I'm clearly the oldest, I'm positive I'm past the eighteen mark. If I can just get my hands on a computer, I can hack into the system and make some fake documents for all of us. I can make it where I'm the legal guardian over all of you."

"But isn't doing that illegal?" the Indian boy asked timidly.

"Yeah, but we really have no choice right now," Perry sighed, rubbing his hand through his hair, starting to feel better from earlier.

He felt completely worn down, but figured that it was simply his adrenaline starting to crash on him.

"I think I have a possible plan, but I'll need to learn more about where we are before I act on it. I'm still pretty weak and it won't help us much if I move to soon and end up collapsing right off the bat."

"I guess so, just don't do anything stupid, okay?" Candace begged, not wanting to lose him, not just for Phineas' sake, but hers as well.

"I won't, I promise," he reassured, giving the girl a hug before they got things ready for dinner.

After eating, they decided rest was needed, the teal haired youth practically praising with joy at the idea.

They all huddled together, using dirty and torn clothes beyond saving as pillows and ratty blankets.

For warmth, they used each other, keeping close to one another, though they did it not just for warmth alone, but ensure that when they woke up, they're still together.

Perry lied on the ground, using his filthy clothes as a pillow, feeling Phineas and Ferb on either side, clinging to his sides.

He could even feel Isabella curled up near them, her body occasionally shivering, whether it was fear or cold, he wasn't sure before drifting off to sleep.

Not far from them was Candace and Jeremy, the two sleeping close together, the girl resting her head on her boyfriend's chest.

The other two boys were also close by, wanting to stay near where it felt warmest, but surprisingly enough clung more to each other than the others.

The older members of the group only assumed that since arriving here, the bully had no reason to harass the timid genius. Instead, he wanted to keep him close for his own sake as much as the other's, clearly showing how young they really are.

At this point, they have given up that one of these days they wake up, it turns out to be a nightmare.

All they focused on is keeping together, using each other as a means of staying sane, knowing what they had was real and not some fantasy.

* * *

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	7. Chapter 7

As days passed by, Perry was shown the same café they used to do their own research on the world they've entered.

From there, he began his research, thankful he apparently looked good enough for female workers to leave him alone. If anything, they were ogling him, which made him slightly uncomfortable, silently wondering if Jeremy had the same problem.

Once he gathered all he needed, he began his plans on how to make the documents, keeping the others out of it.

It wasn't so much he didn't trust them, but if he did somehow mess up, he didn't want his work coming back at them, putting them in unnecessary danger.

The only thing that did attract him was the news regarding a group known as diclonii, though he didn't pay enough attention to them.

All he knew was that people hated them, and because of them, they employment apparently began to plummet due to lack of workers to hire.

He couldn't help but wonder if he should be silently thanking them or not if he manages to land a job fast.

After a week and a half passed, Perry was quite pleased with the end result of his hard work. He finally made all the necessary documents, thankful for all that training helping him speed up the process.

During his efforts, the kids did what they could to earn more money, waiting for when he was done.

The second he was, he began his search for a job, knowing that to open a bank account, he'll need one as much as a home. Although for the latter, he could always make wiggle room with that if need be for everything to work out in the end.

The money that they did earn so far would be deposited a little at a time, wanting to avoid any unwanted attention.

"Wish me luck," he joked dryly, more to the teenagers, knowing he could end up coming back unsuccessful.

"Don't worry if we have to, we can try to get a super cheap cell phone if they won't hire you without contact information. You know the saying, gotta spend some to earn some," Candace reassured, hugging the man she could now call her brother.

"Where'd you hear that?"

"Can't remember exactly, but I'm pretty sure it was in some TV show I watched with Stacy some time ago…" she answered, her smile fading a bit.

"Don't worry, I'm sure she's fine," he comforted, hugging her tighter.

"Thanks, Perry."

"No problem," he smiled when they pulled away, "as for the phone thing, I rather have that as a last resort."

With that, he left, taking a couple granola bars with him as breakfast, wanting to get as early a start as possible.

He checked himself carefully while he ate, extra careful no crumbs were left to make him messy.

Despite the intense heat, he wore brown slacks and a long sleeved white shirt, a light teal jacket over to give him a more mature look. He could only imagine himself probably looking better if he still had his fedora, though doubted it'd fit him at this point in his new form.

He was glad he got himself a wallet, a rather cheap and flimsy looking thing he found in a dollar store as he did with his shaving supplies.

He doubted that having a bit of five o'clock shadow would harm his chances, but knew if it went on to long, it'd get harder with a full beard.

He kept a wallet, a cheap thing he found at a dollar store, using it to hold a few bills and plenty of loose change.

Who knows if he needed to get his clothes cleaned fast or had to take a bus to get where he wanted? Then there's the fact of getting a newspaper or buying something at the café to look up classifieds online.

However, he hated wearing the shirt though, especially with the jacket, but with his arms still under the bandages, he couldn't risk questions.

He had to keep the sleeves rolled down no matter what, until they healed and there are no signs remaining.

He walked down the sidewalks, taking a few breaks, thankful for some outdoor fountains to drink from when necessary.

He held a newspaper under one arm, a small notepad tucked in his pocket, occasionally taken out to read addresses of local stores he wrote down when at the café.

"What the hell?" he grumbled, staring at one building, getting a very bad vibe from it due to its decrepit appearance.

Shuddering, he went in, knowing he had to get a job regardless, praying it won't be anything degrading.

Minutes later, he practically went running out, face flushed, cursing his bad luck that the employer was a damn pervert.

He made a mental note to make sure that if Jeremy and Candace do look for actual jobs, **NOT** to let them come here.

This went on for most of the day, dealing with some employers leering at him too much for his own comfort. If it wasn't that, they'd practically throw him out because he doesn't have phone or internet to contact him.

The bluenette was growing quiet sour, resisting the urge to waste money on something stupid to calm down.

Eventually, he found a few that were interested, almost understanding when he admitted he didn't have phone or internet.

Whether they trusted him by his appearance alone or they simply pitied him, the man didn't care when handed some applications to fill out at his leisure.

Now all he had to do was check up on them when asking if he could meet with them, or coming straight back to get word.

Now feeling better, he decided to head on back to the building he jokingly calls home as did the others from how long they've stayed now.

In the duration he worked finding a job, the others didn't stop in their efforts, knowing they needed the money regardless.

They have many mouths to feed, bodies to dress, and when school starts, they'll need a real home and working phone.

Candace sighed as she focused on her latest job, walking dogs again, but it didn't bother her, watching Jeremy and Buford ahead of her with dogs of their own.

While things seemed to be going their way, she knew things were still going to be rough, especially regarding her brothers, Phineas especially.

She began to worry that he might, if he hasn't already, become mentally unstable the longer they stayed here, unable to do the things he loved during summer.

The poor boy was stressed beyond words, evident by the bags under his eyes, though have lessened since Perry's arrival. But it wasn't enough, if they didn't find a way home soon, or getting a place to stay so her brother could vent freely, he might lose it.

She dared not think what would happen if he snapped at the wrong person, namely an outsider of their group.

He could start ranting and raving about his past inventions, the fun and games he had with his brother and friends. It could very well land him into an institution, possibly sending everyone else away if not the same place if deemed unstable as well.

_"__No!"_ she berated herself in her thoughts.

She couldn't let such thoughts plague her, she had to try and stay positive, especially now that they have Perry.

He made documents, actual documents to make it easier for them to live here than simply hiding. All they had to do to finish the job is to get themselves a place to live, even if it's temporary.

She'll keep pushing herself as hard as possible, knowing full well that Perry's doing the same. Even Jeremy's pushing himself, hopeful he'll find his sister, his family as much as she wants to find her parents.

Thinking on the younger kids, despite their demeanor, they too haven't given up completely, if anything, their hope grew ever since the humanized platypus arrived.

It was that hope that'll also help her keep going and going until they finally get where they absolutely need and want to be…

"Anyone home?" the agent called out as he entered the abandoned building, careful that no one saw him.

Looking around, he was glad to find nothing was touched other than what was taken as small portions for each to get something to eat or drink.

"Here," Candace spoke as she and the other two walked in. "Made about seventy dollars walking dogs and mowing lawns."

"Pretty good, hope the others get back soon, starting to get dark out," the teal haired man sighed as he looked outside, seeing the sky starting to turn twilight.

"Hey you guys," Isabella squealed happily as she ran in, the boys right at her heels, all looking pleased. "We made some extra money doing some pet sitting."

"Really?"

"It wasn't anything huge. It was mostly people wanting someone to look after their dog or cat that needed medicine almost hourly while they were out for lunch or work," Phineas added, showing the money they earned. "I hope the animals get better though, they looked sad having to take medicine like that."

"I'm sure they will," the agent reassured, pulling the boy into him.

"How did you do?" Ferb asked, seeing how relaxed the bluenette looked.

"So-so on the job hunt," he chuckled, one arm still looped around the redhead. "I found a few that were interested and didn't mind I lacked a phone and email. They're close enough by where I can hop the bus or walk there if I start early."

"If we need to, depending how much you earn, we could get you a bike, it'd save money in the long run," Baljeet suggested as he and the others set their bags down.

"I was thinking that too if it became a hassle walking or the bus got too expensive. That and possibilities with winter, though I might just stick with cabs and buses when the weather starts getting bad."

Pooling the money together, they counted it out, surprised how much they earned by working together as well as they did.

"I can't believe how much we've earned now. We should be just about ready to start renting," Candace nearly cried, the others looking relieved as well.

"That's great, I'd say we should celebrate, but that would ruin all our hard work," Perry joked, earning himself a playful shove from the teenager.

Shoving back with a grin of his own when seeing her smiling, he decided to get a bit more serious.

"Speaking of the apartment, how much _would_ we have left over after we get it and start paying the official rent?"

At that, the teenagers explained to him everything they learned, including how it was fully furnished and had electricity and heating set up.

All they would have to pay for as extra aside from the rent, phone and possibly internet, are any security deposits if they get a pet or got cable.

"We've even been checking on the place weekly to make sure that it hadn't been taken or sudden changes made," Jeremy added with a sheepish grin. "We've had enough money for a while, but we wanted to ensure we could keep up with the rent, so been saving longer just in case."

"Pretty risky, but good thinking."

"Thanks, but that was Candace's idea," the blonde smiled as he hugged his girlfriend, having her blush a bit.

"Really?" Perry questioned, getting a nod from her, clearly embarrassed, "That's still good thinking, better safe than sorry."

"Hey Perry, mind if we ask you something?" the teenager asked somewhat nervously as she rubbed her arm.

"What is it?"

"When you were job hunting, did anyone give you weird looks?"

"Weird looks? Now that you mention it, I did a few times on the street, but they most shook it off."

"There's something about the hair color. Seems those with exotic looking hair are not treated with full respect, at least not right away," Ferb explained with slight bitterness from his past experiences.

"Could it have to do with this diclonii group?" Perry muttered softly as he tried to think it over, giving the boy a concerned look.

"That's what I'm thinking too, but people only started to really treat Ferb better when a chef ruffled his hair. After that, he began giving more scraps to us when we pass the restaurant," Candace added, remember the event as did others.

"Maybe no one's bothered me because my hair doesn't look like a fluff ball?" the agent wondered, getting a glare from the boy. "What, it's true."

Immediately, Phineas began laughing, getting a look from his sibling, "He's right you know."

"Like you're any better," Ferb remarked with a smirk, starting to snicker when seeing the fake frown on the shorter boy.

"But you know, I know it's rough living like this, but I'm glad," the redheaded boy suddenly spoke. "If this world wasn't so weird and messed up, we might've been caught long before Perry found us. We would've been taken away from each other, even if we screamed and begged not to be separated."

"You're right," Isabella agreed, placing a hand on his shoulder. "And now that we have Perry with us, helping us with his secret agent skills, we get to stay together longer."

"Yup, and before long, we'll find a way back home," the boy grinned, not seeing the small frowns forming on older males' faces.

Thankfully, it had also been missed by the others, even Ferb, being as he's one of the most observant people in the room next to Candace.

"Oh man, I can't wait to see everyone when we get back. I'm _so_ never taking my bed for granted again."

Soon as the redhead added that, others couldn't help but start laughing, agreeing with him on that statement.

"I wonder how Linda and Lawrence will react when they see me?" the teal haired man chuckled, knowing even if their world is gone; the parents may still be alive. But he was surprised to get a glare from the three siblings. "What?"

"Call them Mom and Dad, you're still a part of the family," the redheaded boy scolded, the other staring in shock.

"But…"

"You've always been part of the family, but you're no longer our pet, but our brother. I'm sure Mom and Dad would adopt you in a heartbeat once we return," Ferb added with a small smile.

"They're right, it wouldn't be fair to throw you out of our lives, not after this, not after the good memories we've shared before this happened. You _are_ our big brother now," Candace added with a gentle smile.

Tears prickling his eyes, he gave them an honest smile, grateful to have such a wonderful family.

"Thank you, that means everything to me."

"Alright, before we turn into some sappy soap opera, how about we start eating?" Buford half joked, the others laughing save for Perry.

"What's wrong with soap operas?"

That made the others burst out laughing louder, the other realizing what he just said, wishing he could hide his red face.

"Alright, alright we _really_ should eat," Jeremy spoke up between laughs, wanting to somewhat help save the other from further embarrassment.

He honestly hadn't laughed like this in a long time, not since he and the others arrived here, and it felt good doing it again.

The others agreed when some had their stomachs growl, having them divide what they got between minimal shopping and handouts.

They were feeling overjoyed, not only from the bit of happy conversations they made, mostly with Perry sharing stories of his days as an agent.

It seemed to relax the kids or make them burst out laughing if he decided to share a particularly amusing tale with everyone.

When they were done, they cleaned themselves off as best as possible before settling into their makeshift beds, huddled together as usual.

Normally when they slept, Perry dealt with nightmares from when he had been a hostage, to being experimented on. Sometimes he got them where he was found, watching his family slaughtered before him.

When those came, he'd wake up screaming, scaring the kids, sobbing into them with relief they were okay.

He knew it worried them, that whatever he went through had to have been horrendous, knowing only Jeremy knew. He wasn't sure if Candace knew yet, and if she did, she was excellent actress hiding that fact.

Yet for once, he didn't get assaulted by nightmares, his good mood overpowering his bad memories. He could feel his boys, his _brothers_ hugging him tightly in their sleep, smiles plastered on their faces.

* * *

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	8. Chapter 8

For the next couple days afterwards they got the money they needed, Perry managing to actually land a job, starting right away.

By a stroke of luck, not only was it within walking distance from the building, but the apartment as well when shown its location.

And to make it an even sweeter deal, this particular job was simple, meaning he could change around from driving around town to filing paperwork.

It was boring compared to his secret agent life, but it was necessary and strangely relaxing as he worked.

He was just thankful there weren't uniforms to wear, he would've worried if they had short sleeved shirts. He still had to wear the bandages, but the layers were getting lighter as the stiches held together well and the skin healed.

Soon enough, he'll have them removed, either by his own hands or if he feels Jeremy could handle it, leave the task to him.

After a week of working, getting his first paycheck, he nearly started bouncing in his step as he decided it was time to open a bank account.

He had been coming up with strategies to do so, knowing whether the landlord was some drug using sleazebag, paying in all cash wouldn't be wise.

He managed to accomplish the job, relieved that all that planning and prepping paid off, adding his name as well as Jeremy and Candace's names for the account.

Done, he surprised them with cards of their own, explaining what he did and why he had them added than leaving him with sole access.

The teenagers were in awe at the trust, grateful for it, willing to do their best not to disappoint that trust.

For the next few days, they deposited their hard earned money, praying they didn't move to fast to raise alarms.

By the time the next week rolled in, another check given and cashed, they made their move on the apartment.

Walking inside the office, Perry and the teenagers were unable to suppress a cough from the smoke. They could see the supposed landlord coming from the back, a stupid smile on his face.

"Good morning," he greeted, showing surprising sobriety, but knew he was still rather high by the way he swayed.

"Hello," the teal haired agent greeted back, "why don't you two wait outside?"

He could see that the smoke was getting to them, the pair unsure about leaving him alone, but the look assured them he'd be fine, so they went outside.

"Your kids?"

"Two of them," he answered flatly as he took a seat. "We just moved to town and we're rather tight on money, but saw your unit available and within our funds. Is it still available by any chance?"

"Ah yeah, it is," the other answered, fumbling for paperwork, looking overly eager to finally rent the place. "Do you need a tour of it?"

"I looked online and it meets our needs," Perry spoke as the two exchanged more words, learning more about the apartment.

After a few hours, papers were signed and the two shook hands, having made it official as keys were handed.

"Almost forgot, do you mind if I make a couple copies of these? My family's in different age groups. I don't want them locked out if I'm at work and others aren't home yet when school starts."

"How many copies do you plan on making?"

"At least two, maybe three max."

"Keep it to two."

"Alright then, thank you."

With that, he gave a farewell and left, spotting the teenagers sitting at the curb, eagerly awaiting his return.

"So?" Jeremy questioned, looking ready to start bouncing in excitement.

"We got it," Perry grinned, holding the keys up, the two hugging him tightly.

"That's great!" Candace yipped as they went back to gather everyone and get moved in pronto.

Second they got in; they started exploring their new place, finding that if it had simply been Perry and his family, it would've worked out, albeit a tad cramped. But with others staying here too, it'll be more cramped, so they had to work out how to put the available space to their advantage.

First thing they did was decide which of them gets what rooms, the first thing made clear being that the girls would share a room together. The remaining kids ended up having to share a room as well, Jeremy and Perry sharing the remainder.

Afterwards, they started prepping things, replacing the beds with bunk beds, frame wise at least.

They managed to skip buying extra mattresses and box springs for a few, saving them a few dollars. The beds that didn't have them got t hem from the ones already here, having taken measurements ahead of time to make sure it'd work out.

As for the other rooms in their new home, it consisted of one bathroom, a galley kitchen, an outdoor patio, and obviously a living room.

The bathroom when looked inside rather roomy inside, finding not only a tub with sliding doors, but a washer and dryer stacked onto one another.

The kitchen, while eating in there was out of the question, it had decent enough features and enough room to work when needed.

The only thing that was a bit frustrating was the oven not being self-cleaning as well as a lack of a dishwasher. Meaning they had to watch what they cooked to avoid heavy cleaning, mostly anything that might be greasy. Even the refrigerator was a bit smaller than they would have liked, but they agreed that they'd make do.

The living room itself was more reasonable in size where if push came to shove, they could always set a bed up.

It had a couch set against the wall, an empty shelf with a few books left behind from the previous owners, and an older television set in a corner.

Near one side of the room were glass doors leading to the outdoor patio that overlooked the town.

When they explored it, they found that a grill had been left behind too including a metal trash bin that held an older bag of charcoal.

Least it meant they could cook outdoors if they couldn't use the oven for any number of reasons. All they would have to do is plan it right based on the weather to avoid freezing unnecessarily or having their potential meals soaked in rainwater.

What might've been the best regarding their new place being that they were on the second floor of the building. They had no worries of being bothered by neighbors stomping above, but did have to be mindful of the ones below them.

Then again, while they hadn't fully introduced themselves with their apparent neighbors, they gave enough of a vibe of not caring.

They seemed to be out most of the night whenever Perry came home late, and the kids made mention how they're home all day long.

Therefore, chances of them bothering one another are slim, slimmer when school started, just about everyone out most of the day.

When they settling in, Perry got to work getting connected with the phone company, getting it set up and activated. As a bonus, they were allowed to pick a phone from the choices, the bluenette picking the one with an answering machine.

From there, while it risked dipping into the money a bit more, he decided to play it safe and get cell phones, having found a perfect payment plan after much research.

Just as he surprised the teens with their own cards, he surprised everyone with the devices, admitting they were the cheapest he could get his hands on. But he explained everything else to them and the importance of why he did it, the others thanking him profusely for it.

They wouldn't have gotten this far without Perry's new job and the older teens managing to land a couple of part time jobs. Therefore, the money spent was made back relatively fast with their combined paychecks and mindful spending.

It was barely a week before school starts, the humanized platypus having made arrangements for getting the kids into school, including the teenagers.

The pair tried to argue that he didn't have too, that they could in a sense drop out to try helping more. However, he told them that their education is far too important to let it go to waste, especially since they wouldn't have money for college.

Reluctantly, they agreed, understanding his concern, Jeremy mostly, leaving Candace to notice that the two had gotten much closer.

She knew it wasn't anything to worry about, if they had a relationship going on suddenly, they would've said something, not keep her in the dark about it. She knew them both well, her boyfriend especially, so knew whatever made them so close, it was much deeper than some secret relationship going on.

Something inside her told her it had to do with Perry's arms, having seen them exposed, grateful the kids weren't around. The sight might traumatize them for life, and judging the injuries, she had a bad feeling about it.

"Hey Perry, could I ask you something?" she started, the two folding clothes and getting beds made.

"What is it?" he replied, getting the sheets onto the bed while the other got pillows back together.

_"__Now or never,"_ she muttered in her head, the two having the apartment to themselves for a couple of hours.

The kids, now freed from having to work for survival were shooed off to go play, while Jeremy had gotten a day off. So, to help enjoy himself, and possibly get out of doing chores, offered to watch them to ensure they were safe.

"I want to know what happened to your arms. I've seen the stitches, and the way they're angled," she stated, seeing the other freezing up, shoulders stiff. "Perry, did…did you try to kill yourself?"

"Yes…" he answered after a pause, taken back by the question, but wasn't entirely surprised it'd come up at some point.

"Why?"

"I thought you, the boys, everyone were dead. I was weak. I was scared. I was angry and so much more at what had been done to me."

He knew this conversation would happen at some point if she didn't know, unsure why Jeremy hadn't told her. It wasn't like he begged him to keep it between them solely, only keep it from the kids because of their ages.

"Just what the hell happened to you? There are nights you wake up screaming, and now finding out you tried to commit suicide…" Candace half shouted, trying to keep herself from exploding.

She could see the other's shoulders trembling, knowing he must be close to crying if he hadn't already started.

"I don't mean to be pushy, but I'm worried about you. I don't want to lose you, none of us do."

"I know," the other sniffed, barely suppressing his sobs.

"Perry, I won't tell Phineas and the others if you're worried. Whatever must've happened, it must've been horrible."

"Thank you, and it was horrible, I had never been so scared in my life when I was there. What happened in that second dimension, it didn't even come close," he added numbly, frantically wiping at his eyes.

He seriously needed to stop crying so much, he had to be tougher than this, not for his sake, but for the others.

"Tell me then, it might help."

Nodding, they finished making the beds and folding the rest of the clothes, taking a seat on the couch.

The teenager got up briefly, returning with a couple glasses of water, the two sipping lightly as she let the other take his time.

After a bit, he finally began telling her what he told Jeremy, explaining the horror he endured, telling her the things he's seen and heard.

He watched her expression, finding it very much the same as her boyfriend's, yet it seemed stronger, unsure what it was.

Maybe it had to do with the fact she had him and the boys, having the love of her life at her side?

"That's horrible," she breathed softly, grateful she didn't have her glass, knowing it would've fallen or cracked being held so tightly.

"It gets worse," he added nervously, knowing it had to be known at least to her.

"What do you mean?"

"There's a chance Danville doesn't exist anymore."

"What are you saying?"

"I don't know, those things that did this to me, one of them bragged about how she built a bomb that could destroy dimensions. But they were new and needed a place to test them in, and our world had been picked for destruction."

"So you're saying that…"

"Yeah, chances of finding more familiar faces are very slim."

"Why didn't you tell me sooner?"

"I wasn't sure how you'd react. I can barely wrap my head around it myself. I was in so much pain, in so much emotional turmoil; I wanted to end it all. I wanted to just be back with all of you, my family, the very people who always loved me."

"Perry…" Candace whispered, wrapping her arms around the other as he felt himself breaking, leaning his head into her. "But if what you said is true, what they said is true…then that means Mom and Dad might be…"

"Dead, I know, I'm honestly praying that it isn't so, that they're alive, hopefully somewhere safe."

"I hope so too," Candace sighed as she continued comforting the former platypus as he silently cried into her.

* * *

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	9. Chapter 9

After his emotional break with Candace, Perry continued to put a strong front at least for the children, letting that wall down only around the teenagers.

They were far more mature than most would give them credit for, if not more so, likely because of what they've had to go through lately.

Eventually school started, the agent managing to help them get what they needed for school, having contacted the schools prior about the new transfers.

However, hoping things would be smoother with his boys and the others interacting with others their age group turned into a disaster.

The teens were better off, making a few friends or at least acquaintances to mingle with than being total social outcasts. With the kids though, they were tormented and teased, far worse than they might've ever gotten back home.

He felt horrible as did the teens, trying to comfort the kids whenever they came home sour or in tears, sometimes a mix of both in the little group.

One of the worst that just about sent Perry over the edge was seeing Isabella coming home, her hair hacked to pieces. He tried to get her to tell him, but she kept crying, hugging onto him, Buford having to explain what happened, being the strongest for them emotionally.

The humanized platypus continued feeling worse and worse, recalling how Baljeet, a child who adored education now shrieked and begged not to go to school. It broke his heart to hear the boy say that while still so young.

He had to find something to help them, scared that being their ages, being far more impressionable and emotional, they could do something drastic.

He's tried calling the school, but they give him half assed promises that they'd take care of it, making things worse in his opinion.

He groaned, letting his head hit the desk at work, wanting to cry in frustration, nearly jumping when a hand landed on his back.

"Sorry," a coworker apologized, pulling her hand back. "Wasn't sure if you were feeling well."

"You're right about that," he grumbled, pushing some papers away to avoid wrinkling him, knowing they have to be filed later.

"What's wrong?" she asked, concern in her voice as she leaned against the desk a bit to catch his unique eyes.

He wasn't sure how to answer her, the two weren't friends; sure they'd take turns getting coffee or pastries for one another during lunch. Sometimes they would even tag team to get their assignments done faster. They rarely talked aside greetings and farewells, maybe an occasional question of something random like music or something.

Sighing, figuring it probably couldn't hurt to make a friend, knowing they may be stuck here for a long time, he looked at her.

"It's the schools my younger brothers and their friends go too," he sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. "They're complete asses; they won't help with the bullying problem, if anything, making it worse."

"That's awful."

"Isabella got attacked by some girls and nearly had all her hair cut off, Baljeet's gotten at least a broken nose twice. Phineas would be sobbing, confused and scared, Ferb's becoming quieter than normal, and Buford almost got suspended twice for _defending_ his friends. Not even the police will help, they just put me on hold for hours, as if I'm returning a product or something."

"Haven't you heard?"

"Heard what?"

"About three quarters of the police were murdered a few months ago."

"What?"

He was about to ask more before feeling his phone vibrate, color draining when he looked at who was calling.

"I'm sorry, I have to take this," he muttered, holding the phone to his ear, "Phineas, what's wrong?"

Why would he be calling now? Shouldn't he be at school? Did something…

**'****Perry,'** the boy's voice half sobbed, sending warning bells in the man's head.

"What's going on, Phineas? Just calm down and tell me what's wrong."

**'****Some mean kids really hurt Ferb and the others. There's a lot of blood.'**

"Shit," the agent cursed softly, not caring who heard him, including the scared boy. "Where are you now?"

**'****At the hospital, a nice man helped call the police,'** the boy cried, sounding just about hysterical.

"It's okay, I'm on my way right now, just be strong and keep talking to me," he comforted, knowing that if he tried hanging up, the kid might lose it.

He was already on his way up, his coworker stating she'll tell the boss that a family emergency happened and had to see to it.

He thanked her quickly before running out, phone kept close as he threw his coat on clumsily, hailing a cab. No time to wait for a bus or exhaust himself getting to the hospital on foot, it was too far.

It took him two tries to get a cab, the first one, someone slammed into him, pushing him out of the way, in a sense, stealing his ride.

**'****Perry?'**

"I'm okay, kiddo, just bumped my arm is all, nothing serious," he lied, his arm feeling like it was on fire.

The stiches had since been removed, Jeremy showing excellent precision to remove them, wondering where he learned such a skill.

Yet, despite how far along his arms have come healing, they were still very tender and sensitive. Didn't help that the gashes remained, forcing him to continue wearing long sleeved shirts despite the heat and now having them itch once in a while.

Eventually he arrived, finding the small redhead, hanging up as did he when they ran into each other's arms.

"Perry!" he sobbed, face covered in tears and mucus.

"_Shh_…_shh_…it's okay now, Phineas, I'm here, I'm here," he comforted, picking the boy up into his arms, feeling his legs wrap around his waist to hang on.

Spotting a couple of men talking, he walked over when seeing one of them was a police officer.

"What the fuck happened here?" the agent asked, wishing he didn't curse like that based on the boy's whimper, but he was so pissed off.

"I'm getting to that, but the kid wouldn't stop gabbing on the phone," the officer spat as he crossed his arms.

"He was terrified when he called me; I let him talk to me than hang up. I was afraid of what would happen if I did. If you're going to be pissed off about that, then you honestly don't know your job."

"Fuck off!" the uniformed man spat, the two in a glaring contest before the other decided to intervene, pushing between them, separating the men.

"Enough, I told you what I know. Give the kid a moment to calm down," he spat, glaring at the officer who seethed as he walked off, likely to check on the other kids and try to get statements from them. "Asshole."

"Thanks, if I didn't have my brother in my arms, I might've socked him and landed in jail," Perry sighed as they sat down in a chair.

He felt the weight in his arms having gotten limp, finding the poor boy had cried himself to sleep or just about based on his sniffles.

"No problem, so you're the big brother he was fussing over, wanting here to make things better? Can see why, practically conked out second you held him. You must have some magic to do that," the other man joked lightly.

"You said you told the officer what you knew, did you see what happened?" he asked, careful of his tone and words so not to disturb the frazzled boy.

Watching the other man, he took in his features, seeing he was dressed in a white business shirt, a light blue, almost powdery jacket with blue jeans and canvas sneakers.

He was fair skinned with shoulder length white hair tied back in a braid, sky blue eyes watching him.

Something in the back of the agent's mind told him that there was something familiar about him, but he reluctantly ignored that voice.

Now wasn't the time to go secret agent, he had his family to focus on and so far, this guy was okay in his book. He likely just saved Phineas and the others' lives.

"Not the entire thing, but enough to get the gist," the other answered, the agent almost missing his words.

"What did you see then? I'm sorry for bugging like this; I'm just worried about my family, about our friends."

"Don't worry about it; I'd be the same way if I had kids to watch. From what I saw, it looked like some snot nosed brats ambushed them and started whaling on them, calling them names. Damn bastards actually had some gear to hurt them."

"Oh god…"

"No knives or guns thankfully, but the big kid took a bat to the cranium, surprised he was actually still standing and not out cold."

"That's Buford for you, I swear he's like a goddamn tank," Perry joked softly as he rocked the boy in his arms. "But why didn't the teachers stop them?"

"No clue, but I saw what happened, jumped the fence and chased the little bastards off before calling 911."

"I see…" the teal haired man sighed, now beginning to fear for the kids' lives.

"Perry?" a small voice groaned, revealing to be the small redhead as he blinked himself more awake, appearing a little better.

"Hey, what happened? I know it's tough, but I need to know what happened."

Remembering what landed them all here; he looked down, "We didn't do anything to those kids. They just came up on us, calling us awful names. They called me a fag…I don't even know what that means!"

"It's not a good one, that's for sure," the mystery man grumbled, clearly ticked off at the attackers.

"What they did they say exactly?"

"They said they didn't want us here. They wanted Buford, Baljeet, Isabella, not even Ferb here, telling them to go back to their own country. Why would they say those awful things?"

Gritting his teeth slightly, he hugged the boy closer before getting to his feet, setting him down in his seat.

Before he could ask, he gave him a reassuring smile, "I wanna give Candace and Jeremy a call, let them know where we all are and wait for us back home. I kinda doubt we'll all be going home as a group, heard Buford took a hard hit. So I can only guess that he'll be staying here a bit longer."

"Yeah, he did get hurt pretty badly. He tried to stop them from kicking Baljeet and Ferb. I tried to stop them too, but I was held back. I…I couldn't do anything when they were hurting everyone. Isabella even got her hand cut when she got pushed to the ground. If it wasn't for him, they would've continued hurting us, I'm sure of it."

"I can't thank you enough stepping in like that. You're actually the first person to even show an ounce of humanity to any of us since we moved here."

"It's no problem, I'll watch the kid while you make the call," the other reassured when the boy tried to stay with the agent, reluctantly staying put.

Stepping out, he called the girl, leaving her a message, knowing how much she's practically addicted to these silly things back in Danville.

When he came back, he saw the redhead sipping a soda, the officer back, getting a full statement now, the child looking less frantic.

"Alright, thanks for telling me everything, we'll find these kids and make sure their families are notified."

"They never hurt us like this before, but they do pick on us along with a bunch others in our school. They throw spitballs at my friends and my brother, even me. They almost cut all of Isabella's hair off and would steal pencils from Baljeet right when we're to have a test and the teacher won't loan him one nor let any of us loan him one."

"I see…I'll take a look at the school too."

Hearing the officer sounding much calmer, he almost did a double take seeing that the grump he dealt with before wasn't the same one.

"You're his brother I presume?" the officer asked when he turned around to leave, likely to send his report in.

"Yeah, I am."

"Seems like a sweet kid, shame he has to put up with that kind of shit, same with the rest of your family and their friends."

"They don't deserve this kind of treatment, but no one at the school seems to care as I'm sure you're seeing just from his words."

"I noticed, then again with the diclonii issue, they're more focused trying to stay alive than being happy."

"I guess that's true."

"I don't know where you must've lived previously, but I suggest you get back there when you can for the children's sake."

"Been thinking the same thing," Perry sighed, careful with his words.

"I gotta get going, and I'll give that jackass a firm scolding for treating your little brother like crap."

"Thank you."

He watched as the officer left, letting him sit down with Phineas in the spare seat, giving him a comforting look.

"He was much nicer than the other officer," the redhead muttered softly as he continued sipping his drink.

"Did he get you that soda?"

"No, that was Dennis," he stated, glancing at the other man.

"Dennis?"

"Dennis Durani, to be exact, figured it'd be fair to introduce myself."

"Perry Fletcher-Flynn; this is my younger brother, Phineas."

"Fletcher-Flynn?"

"Our parents married, my mom, big sister, and I have Flynn in our names. Ferb and our dad have Fletcher. Perry was adopted sometime after they married when we were really little," the redhead lied perfectly.

The teal haired agent feeling bad he's having to do that, but knew that it was for the best for everyone.

All he had to do was pray that this Dennis guy will buy it, especially since it is true for the most part, the only lie being about _how_ he becomes part of the family.

"That's actually rather cute," the white haired man chuckled as he ruffled the boy's hair, getting a smile from him.

"Thanks."

Seeing a doctor coming their way, Perry got up once more, leaving the two to talk, seeing that the boy had taken a shine to him.

He trusted Phineas enough not to go off with him if offered, the kid may be naïve, but he isn't stupid.

"How bad are their injuries?" the agent asked, crossing his arms, barely hiding a wince from the action.

"One had a concussion from taking a bat to the head; he's covered in bruises, but managed to avoid broken bones. But I suggest that he stay a night or two because of the head injury as a precaution. The girl needed a few stitches on her hand, but other than that, a few bumps and scrapes. The green haired boy suffered a sprained ankle and minor injuries, mostly cuts and bruises."

"What about Baljeet?"

"He's fine, but he'll have to stay a few days though. He suffered some bruising in the ribs and a fracture in his arm."

"Oh god…" the teal haired man groaned, running his hand through his hair, feeling awful for the kids.

"I hate to be rude, but we aren't some charity service. I hope you have good insurance," the doctor stated as he pulled out a piece of paper, revealing that everything had been calculated.

"What…what the…I can't pay this! I don't have this kind of money," Perry gasped when staring at the numbers for the entire thing.

Oh how he wished he had some idea how to get access to his account from home, then he wouldn't be having this problem in the first place.

"Should've thought of that before letting them get into fights," the doctor spat, giving the other a look. "Either find a way to pay…" he started before Phineas ran up, clinging to shaking man's shirt.

"Perry, what's wrong?"

Dennis walked over, glancing at the numbers, blue eyes widening in surprise as he saw how pale the other looked.

Before anyone could react, he pulled out a checkbook, glancing at the numbers, writing it down, tearing it off and handed it to the doctor.

"That should cover it," he spoke, the doctor apparently accepting it as he walked away to have it handed to the receptionist and treat other patients.

"Dennis?" the redhead muttered, surprised as was the other.

"You didn't have to do that," Perry spoke as the other gave him a sympathetic look, giving an almost shy smile.

"You guys look like you're tight on money, least I can do, my fault you're in this mess financially. If I don't help, my wife would kill me, especially if I broke up your family because of it."

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah, we can always talk later how to make it up," the other reassured in a joking manner, clearly not bothered with the amount he spent.

Whoever this guy is, he was a lifesaver, enough where Perry wanted to cry in relief, thanking this guy nonstop.

"I don't know how to thank you for this," the platypus half sobbed, relieved of it all, Phineas looking relieved when he hugged their apparent friend tightly.

He managed to gather the kids save for those who had to stay at the hospital longer, the two thankfully sharing a room than forced into separate ones.

Walking back, Dennis helped carry Isabella on his back, the small girl thanking the man for helping them when Phineas told her and Ferb what happened.

"Your hair is really soft, Mr. Durani," Isabella complimented when she let her good hand touch the shimmering locks.

"Thanks, my wife loves it too; she can't get enough brushing it like I was a little kid. Hopefully when we _do_ eventually have kids, they'll have soft hair too for her to go nuts over," he joked, a light blush forming on his face.

"Your wife's pregnant?" she asked, clearly fascinated as were the others.

"Not yet, but we keep trying."

"I hope you get lucky," Ferb spoke softly, taken up being carried on Perry's back as the girl has been.

"Thanks, I hope so too."

Tugging his sleeve gently, Phineas gave his once pet a slightly nervous look, having him pause, as did the other adult to listen. Wanting to be of help, he offered to carry his brother's crutches along with anything else they were given, namely a few antibiotics for the girl's hand and such.

"I know we're tight on money, but could we at least invite Dennis over for a drink, maybe dinner as a thank you?"

"What do you say, Dennis? Care to join us for dinner? I know we're tight on funds, but not so tight not to at least treat a guest," Perry joked, seeing the other smile.

"If you don't find me intruding, I wouldn't mind. It'd give us a chance to talk more; it'd be nice if we could become friends."

"That'd be nice, so far my only friends are these guys," Perry joked, earning himself a playful tug of his hair from a half pouting Ferb.

The other three laughed, the agent joking to the green haired boy at how he's being so cruel.

Eventually they found themselves at the apartment, the white haired man led up the steps, Phineas unlocking and letting everyone in.

Once inside, Ferb set onto a couch, the redhead sat with his brother, leaning the crutches near the other.

"Are you guys okay?" Candace asked, having heard the door open, her and Jeremy walking over with worry.

"How many people do you have crammed in here?" Dennis asked, raising a brow as he set Isabella down to talk with the teenager.

The blonde sat with the boys, talking with them, likely the same thing his girlfriend talked about.

"Just us as well as the two back at the hospital," Perry laughed nervously, hoping the other won't question it.

"I see, at least it seems you have something planned if you could fit that many in here to begin with."

"Wasn't easy, though I end up passing out on the couch most of the time when I get home. I'm thinking of trading the couch for one with a built in bed since I practically sleep here at night."

"I know a few stores if you want to find one cheap but useable, wouldn't help if you got one that made you ache waking up."

"That'd be great, guess you had a similar time like us?"

"A little, though it was more just my wife and myself, though I'm impressed you were able to furnish the place so well."

"About that…most of the stuff was already here, figured whoever lived here last either moved out in a hurry or they were thrown out for not paying rent."

"Talk about lucky."

"Tell me about it."

"So how long have you guys lived here?"

"We moved to town a few months back, but were bouncing around a bit because of money before we finally settled here couple months ago."

"If there's ever a time you and those two needed time out of the place, my wife and I can watch the kids. Just give us a call to make sure we're home and not out on our own dinner date or something."

"That's kind of you, but you honestly don't have to. I feel bad enough as is that you ended up paying my bill."

"I know, I guess I feel guilty for putting you in that position," Dennis laughed nervously as he scratched his head. "Plus, I've been around this neighborhood a few times when I go on walks; I know it's not the best place for kids to hang around play."

"That's true…"

"So, if you don't mind them being watched at my place, they'd do better. There are a lot of kids there that are just sweethearts. I know from meeting them either from my wife and invited to neighborhood picnics or dealing with them at Halloween."

"Thank you, I really appreciate the kindness and I'll honestly keep it in mind," Perry spoke softly, trying to choose his words wisely. "But don't be upset if I act overly cautious with someone I just met. We just moved here, we've been through a lot lately, and now this… I'm honestly scared about losing my family. I hope you can understand what I'm saying."

"I don't blame you, I'm sorry for just jumping in like this, we _did_ just meet. I was only trying to make a good impression. Guess I screwed that up pretty nicely, huh?" the white haired man laughed nervously.

"How about we agree that we both screwed up?" the other adult joked, earning a cheeky grin from the other.

"Deal," he laughed, the two shaking hands.

* * *

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	10. Chapter 10

During dinner, the group talked and laughed, coming up with some jokes, Phineas obviously feeling ten times better by how bright he looked.

"Ah, so only, you, Candace, Phineas and Ferb are actually related, the rest are under your guardianship. Is that right?" Dennis asked, not minding the simple dinner that had been handed to him, a glass of water sitting near his side.

"Yeah, course only Candace and Phineas are related by blood, the two of us were adopted later on. And I only recently became the legal guardian over the remainders," Perry chuckled as he ruffled the silent boy's hair, earning himself a halfhearted glare from him as he bore a small smirk.

"But man though, you picked the worst time to move, especially after what happened recently."

"What happened?" the redhead asked abruptly, the other taking notice of the naïve innocence on him and the other kids present.

The others seeing him trying to come up with something, Perry was the first to figure it out, quick on his feet as usual.

"You're talking about the multiple robberies putting the town in the red financially? Yeah, we sort of found out last minute, by then we didn't have money to pack up what we had and turn back."

"Yeah, that…it's been pretty bad, that's why they're so little officers out patrolling the streets and such. They had to do a lot of cuts, so a lot of people are out of work due to businesses closing and such," Dennis added almost nervously.

He could see that the kids didn't fully believe him, but the other two were willing to accept it, but not the redhead based on his determined look.

"But I haven't seen that many closed shops …" Phineas started to argue before being interrupted, a firm hand landing on his small shoulder.

"It's in downtown, the part where little kids shouldn't go to begin with. So I hope don't find you _or_ the others down there anytime soon," Perry added with a bit of warning, the boy nodding at that.

After they finished eating, changing the conversation to happier ones for now, the kids were eventually sent off to bed, the teens heading to bed as well.

"Want me to walk you home or at least until you get a cab or something?" Perry offered to his newly acquainted friend.

"Sure and sorry for nearly letting it slip back there. Guess those kids haven't heard about the slaughter?" Dennis thanked as they stepped outside to talk freely.

"Obviously," Perry stated, "but to be honest, I kinda just heard about it. Things have been so crazy with us; I hadn't been keeping up with the news."

"Sheesh," the other breathed as he gave the other a look, "by the way, how old is your kid brother?"

"Turning thirteen next year, same with the rest of the kids," Perry answered, seeing the look given to him. "I know it seems crazy to protect him and the others like this, but where we came from, death wasn't a common thing."

"Really?"

"Yeah, I mean, they know about it, but not in a way to talk about it so casually as people seem to do here."

"How so?"

"Well, I remember when our parents took us to the museum and somehow a dog we used to own was on display. The sight alone nearly blew their cover that he went to live on a farm when falling ill. Course, it didn't help that the mentioned farmer was _also_ on display too. Thankfully our dad saved the day by distracting the boys with milkshakes than trying to explain why their dog and the kindly farmer were in the museum."

"Wow, but you may want to mention it or at least let him know that it is sadly more common here if he is completely oblivious to what's going on."

"I know, been trying to think of a way, same with Candace and Jeremy, but we're pretty stumped. Some of them are really sensitive; it seems rather cruel to go and ruin what's left of their innocence with such cold reality."

"I know what you mean exactly."

"Really?"

"Yeah, the job I mentioned earlier? Seri and I are part of a group that helps a lot of orphaned children who've been basically thrown away and left to die at young ages. We also take in runaways; we even go into hospitals to pick up children that have been abandoned callously or have lost parents, but local orphanages refuse to take in."

"I never heard of a group like that."

"Yeah, it was recently formed, hence why."

"Hey Dennis, mind if I ask you something?"

"Sure, fire away."

"Well…god I'm going to sound like a retarded ass, but since we moved here, I've tried a few times to do some research…"

"What is it? Can't be that bad."

"What are diclonii? I've heard about them so far, but more in hushed whispers, not enough to actually dare myself to ask them."

The white haired man nearly tripped, sputtering a curse as he stared at the other as if he grew another head.

"Seriously? You have _no_ clue about them?" the white haired man nearly shouted, his jaw hanging slightly in shock.

"Sorry, I lived in a pretty secluded place before we were forced to move," the agent pouted, shoving his hands into his pocket.

Shaking his head, muttering something in what sounded like Arabic, he gave the other a sympathetic look.

"I suggest that you start telling your brothers, _all_ of them about death _real_ fast, because it's a day to day thing outside wherever the hell you came from."

"What _are_ diclonii? Are they some terrorist group?"

"No."

"A gang in town?"

"No."

"Then what the hell _are_ they?" Perry nearly shouted, getting frustrated by the other's vague answers.

"Humans, only very, _very_ special."

"What do you mean?"

"Diclonii are a recently discovered evolution within the human race. They have some features about them that make them very identifiable, but for the most part, are hard to tell. Depending on age, they could disguise themselves rather well, literally hiding in plain sight, but it isn't easy as more ways to find them are made each day."

"What do they look like?"

"Like your average human, though some do possess traits most humans don't have, namely the color of their hair and eyes. I'm sure you must've gotten complaints from the school about Ferb's hair?"

"Yeah, I did actually, but his hair _is_ natural, but they still bug me about it with a note home or calling the house. Same with how vibrant Phineas and Candace's hair is. I even got a call that Isabella wasn't allowed to wear her hair ribbon on top of her head anymore, it really upset her next to having it cut up like that."

"Just that alone probably sent some alarms that they could've been diclonii, and if you knew about them, you'd understand. Fact they're still with you, probably to avoid suspicion, they put them all through multiple screenings to ensure they aren't, nor infected, the boys that is."

"What else about these diclonii should I know about?" Perry asked, now starting to get scared, not just for himself, but for the others, the children especially.

"When they first started showing up in Japan, they would have varying shades of hair between pink and red, sometimes even purple or bluish. There have even been some born with somewhat common hair colors, but at the same time not common based on ethnicity, such as blondes born in an Asian family with black and brown hair. And speaking _of_ ethnicity, despite it, all diclonii have been Caucasian to date, a trait they likely inherited from the original generations. There has yet to be one found with a different skin color."

"So they have some odd hair and eye colors your average person doesn't have, but I still don't really get it."

"They're born with a mass of bone and cartilage on their heads. To give you an idea on how they look, they sort of look like cat ears."

"You mean, they…they have horns?"

"Pretty much, but these horns are a result from the pineal gland having expanded, granting them a very special, and _very_ dangerous gift."

"A…a gift?" Perry stuttered, stopping in his tracks, staring at the other's back, feeling his body beginning to shake. "What _kind_ of gift?"

"Gift, curse, however you view it, how diclonii themselves view it. But what it is, what they have, is a unique telepathic ability. With little effort they can create protrusions invisible to the naked eye."

"But if…" Perry started before the other interrupted.

"However, they can be seen, usually through intense training to locate slight shifts in the air or ground where the vectors are lying in wait. Then there's the fact that every diclinous has unique traits regarding their vectors, from their reach, their ability, and how fast they can use them in general."

"I can understand people being spooked, but how dangerous are they?"

"_Very_ dangerous," Dennis sighed as he pinched the bridge of his nose, pitying the man next to him. "Vectors, when seen, they appear as hands and arms extending from their backs. On average, they only reach a few meters, though some have been found to reach longer, either with age or based on their generation. But what makes them so dangerous than difficulty seeing them is the strength they carry."

"Strength?"

"Yeah, but its more than that alone. They can become intangible too, meaning they can go through anything and anyone if they wished. At the same time, they can touch whatever the hell they want. If they want an apple from the tree, they can grab it, phasing through all the others that are rotten or aren't ripe enough."

"So they could go through a wall and rip someone apart if they wished?"

"Not wish, they _can_, they _will_, and worst of all, they _do_."

"Oh my god, what kind of town did we land ourselves in?"

"I don't know where you lived prior, but diclonii are just about everywhere, so you would be dealing with them regardless. Add that with the recent economy crash and it's just about a hell on earth. Between banks and the government in general being shitheads and now rogue groups going around to try and deal with the diclonii problem, I'm surprised a lot of towns are as stable as they are."

"What the hell am I going to do?"

"Easy, Perry," Dennis comforted, seeing the man looked ready to throw up, walking over to rub his back. "I know it's a lot to take in, but diclonii, despite what you may hear or read about, they aren't _that_ dangerous."

"What do you _mean_ by that?" he nearly spat, looking up at the other's face.

"They only are because most of them are children who don't know how to properly control them. Most of them are letting their emotions get the better of them as any kid does. Most don't have any actual desire to hurt and infect people, let alone kill them. The few who do are the ones you need to watch out for and likely the ones who suffered the most emotional harm."

"This group you spoke of before…you don't save just random orphans, do you?"

Seeing eyes going downcast, it was enough to confirm it, wondering why the man let himself be found out so easily.

"They're just kids, most of them at least. They don't deserve to be treated like trash, like lab rats even."

Perry cringed at how harsh the other sounded, starting to pity the man and these so called diclonii.

"Yes, they're dangerous, yes they can kill and to an extent, _want_ to kill humans, but it's more from nurture than nature. Very few have a natural desire to freely kill people, having had no psychological damage done to them."

"What?"

"They have other traits thanks to their gland being expanded."

"Tell me then, please."

"For the most part, they can sense one another out, seeking each other out far easier than simply wandering aimlessly. And from what we've collected when talking with the older kids and past research notes collected, sometimes communicate telepathically when they need to."

"But it isn't just that, is it?"

Dennis shook his head, a visible frown on his face, "I will be honest, I am scared of them, but not the individual child. What I fear the most are their instincts. If it's given a chance to awaken completely and turn them, it'll be almost impossible to save them."

"You make it sound as if it's a separate entity."

"In some ways, it is," he sighed as the two found someplace private to sit and chat without having to look over his shoulder too much.

"How so?"

"Unlike how most would think of instincts, a diclinous' instinct _literally_ talks to them, one we've dubbed as the DNA Voice. We have no idea how to counter it without hurting them, so we try to love and nurture them when they're still very young. We care and raise them as equals, slowly revealing the world's cruelty so they can adjust and not panic on the spot."

"I can understand that," Perry sighed before hearing the other continuing almost in a ramble.

"But it isn't the voice alone I worry about; I worry on their mental stability to begin with. Just about every diclonii found and recorded, ones saved or had been cruelly experimented on have mental diseases, usually forming from the abuse they endure. They could range from schizophrenia to having OCD and variety of others making them far more difficult to deal with."

"So they have a lot of problems than their horns and discrimination alone."

"I wish it _was_ simple discrimination, it'd make this so much easier to handle them. No, people _want_ them dead. The infants we rescue? We have to steal them before doctors have a chance to euthanize them or sell them to some research facility."

"Oh my god," the teal haired man whimpered softly, his mind flashing back to his own trauma as being experimented on. "Why are you telling me all this?"

"You mean beside the fact that you have no idea the danger you and your family are in?" the white haired man half joked, giving the other a firm pat on the back.

"Okay, you got me on that; I _did_ bring it on myself."

"But I'm glad you asked, you get the real source than believing the lies told by others, whether they're blogs or news stations."

"I guess so, but what should I do if I ever saw one? If Phineas or any of the others spotted one when coming or going to school? At a park or anywhere for that matter?"

"If you see one or what looks like one, put as much distance between you two as possible. And if you get a chance, call me immediately, tell me where they were, but do not tail them. Even if they don't see you, you could attract unnecessary attention of others, causing a potential panic."

"Alright."

"It's okay; I'm not saying you'd suck, but better play it safe. Some of these kids, being as they _are_ kids, only ones that can rip you apart like tissue paper, they can be pretty sneaky. My group has experience dealing with them between negotiating if they're older and understand, or we use armor piercing guns to shoot tranquilizers into them, knocking them out. We'll take them to a facility and let them adjust, interact with other kids like them and us so they can heal and grow safely."

"I guess, but it's hard to wrap my head around why they would be so violent regardless," Perry sighed, feeling like his whole world was turning upside down again.

"I can tell you more later on if you'd like. Right now it's late and you have work tomorrow I presume?" Dennis spoke as the two slowly got back up.

"Yeah, I do, I have the weekend off though."

"Alright, then come to my place this Saturday. Seri can entertain the kids while I give you a full history lesson about diclonii. Same if those two…Jeremy and Candace if I remember right, are interested. They seem mature enough to handle it and it might make it easier explaining it to the others, especially Phineas."

At this point, they were just about at the house, the former platypus surprised how nice it looked, the neighborhood itself looking much nicer too as he had been told.

"I want to ask one thing before we part ways."

"If you're wondering why I told you about them so thoroughly, that's because a diclinous, a _single_ diclinous slaughtered all those cops."

Perry could feel the color drain from his person, feeling lightheaded, just barely getting it together when seeing the worried look.

"Sorry, just the thought that a child could've killed all those people…"

"Whoever she is, it was out of self-defense."

"I figured, but what could've provoked her to that extreme, or even the cops to target her in such a large number."

Turning his head to the ground, the white haired man gave the ground a hard glare as if it were to blame.

"A friend of mine in the organization works for the morgue. He studied the bodies brought in, the two civilians, they didn't die by this diclinous' hands. They were already dead from bullets by the cops when comparing the rounds. I can only guess they were the kid's parents and were hiding her and the cops found out and deciding to butcher them all than simply arresting."

"You seem angrier about it," Perry asked, not that he could blame him.

He could feel his own hands clenching, trying to keep his temper under control at the thought that the people who were killed.

Not only were they innocent, but left behind a child because of those bastards!

He wasn't sure if he should be glad they were dead or more terrified that a child was the very cause.

However, his mind went blank at the next thing the other said.

"The woman killed was with child."

* * *

**_Please read and review._**


	11. Chapter 11

_**I'm sorry for not posting in a while, things got out of hand where I couldn't log in for some reason T_T**_

_**Hopefully it won't happen again.**_

* * *

Weeks passed since their late night conversation, Perry still haunted by those words, unable to look at any cop the same way.

When the weekend rolled in, he brought the kids over, meeting Seri, Dennis' gorgeous and excitable wife.

When he met her, it helped explain where the man must've learned Arabic just by her manner of dress and the décor in their home.

It was as expected, the Arabic woman kept the children entertained, namely having a few video games and movies they could choose from.

Those not interested in either or couldn't in Baljeet's case, she shared a few books and stories from her homeland, clearly happy doing so.

She definitely would make an excellent mother some day with that bubbly attitude, maybe a teacher if she wished.

The older members of the group joined Dennis in a separate room as he explained to them all he knew about the diclonii starting with where it originated.

When asked how it spread to America, he told them about how the queen of that time managed to spread her vectors out to slaughter thousands. But with it, a madman had launched missiles to infect millions with what is known as the Vector Virus in order for more to be born.

Despite their best efforts, between a temporary global birth ban, the vaccine created has since stopped working.

Therefore, those infected now are given a choice to either become sterile, face imprisonment, or join a research facility to breed specimens scientists could study.

By the end of it all, the teens felt sick, looking that they'd be having nightmares for weeks, but they held strong. They felt bad for the diclonii, promising that if they see one or what looks like one, they would call him right away.

Since then, they also managed to, with much help from the Durani couple to explain to the children regarding the chances of death being more common.

It upset the kids, Phineas especially, but they reluctantly accepted it.

Although, when they got home and it was time for bed, the redhead begged Perry to let him sleep with him. Ferb had done the same thing as did the other two boys with Jeremy seeing as Perry had his bed full.

When they slept, Perry would find himself haunted by his own thoughts, his own dreams between having gotten past one hurdle with the death topic.

Now the next hurdle would have to somehow explain the chances of finding others from Danville or any part of their realm, their dimension, alive.

The thought alone tore him apart, knowing he may have to reveal more of what happened to him to even know such information.

Thus led his mind to wander back to Peter and Heinz, knowing those two must be suffering so much, unsure if they were even alive at this point.

For all he knew, they could've died, one from being raped and possibly driven to suicide as he had nearly been. As for the other, it could very much be the same, but instead dying from being repeatedly raped, could've died from the experimentations.

It made him sick that to some extent, he's relaxing and having fun with his family while they suffer.

Didn't help whenever he remembered the scientist's photos, having seen those glassy hopelessness eyes staring vacantly at whoever photographed him.

There were nights Perry would curl up in his bed, thankfully alone, silently sobbing, biting into his hand or wrist to keep quiet.

He didn't want to feel so weak, but couldn't help it.

Despite his training, despite all he's gone through back in Danville, what he's gone through now was too much for him to handle at once.

Sure, he has Candace and Jeremy to talk too, usually when they see him stressed, seeing close a breaking point, it still wasn't enough. They're still technically kids; he shouldn't be burdening them with this, they don't deserve that.

All he wanted was to find this Shadow Queen soon and get things back to normal, find out that the bomb thing was a lie to break him and return home.

He didn't care about retirement, about memory wiping; all he cared about was his family and stopping the nightmares.

Eventually he pulled himself together, mostly thanks to his friendship with Dennis, the man having bonded with him as they shared tales.

Mostly it was tales the agent would share regarding his kids while the other would share tales regarding ones he's rescued and are living happily.

At some point, he and the others found themselves visiting the household more and more, vice versa at their tiny unit.

It felt like back home when the boys' parents would host parties or events at home or the other families would. And if it wasn't them, it was the boys' with their wild inventions and creativity bringing people together.

While the kids were tormented less at school, not sure if other kids are starting to get bored or something finally had been done, it was still rough on them.

They only brightened up whenever the Durani couple visited or they would learn they would be visiting them.

Perry would've thought he'd get jealous that the couple did something he couldn't for his family and their friends, but he didn't.

If anything, he was relieved, knowing there was only so much he could do to help them, especially since in many ways, he needs help himself.

It was here they were visiting the couple again, the two having invited them over for lunch and dinner.

The kids were playing some board games, Buford putting Baljeet and Phineas into headlocks, giving them rough noogies. But based on their laughs, they were having fun, even if there was an occasional _"ow"_ from one of them.

Ferb was playing a videogame with Jeremy, the girls playing some games of their own that when the three wrestling were done, got drawn in. Well more two did, Buford followed to see what it was, deemed it boring and decided to sit and watch the other two play, waiting for a turn.

"Hey, mind if I steal this guy for a bit?" Dennis joked as he looped an arm around the agent lazily, a grin on his face.

"What are you up too?" Seri teased, knowing how close the two have become, grateful her husband has managed to make such a good friend.

She was sitting on the floor, dressed in jeans and a light sweater, a shawl draped around her head out of tradition, but her beautiful face still showed.

She had been in the process of helping Phineas hook a new video game up she had gotten from a friend.

She explained that sometimes they get the diclonii children visiting, so they try to make it feel welcoming, feel as if they at home.

"Oh nothing huge, figured we could hang at a bar and talk about guy stuff these kids are too young for. I'd invite Jeremy, but he's underage and it'd be pretty awkward having _"mature"_ conversations at a fast food joint," the white haired man laughed.

"It's fine, it would've still been awkward since I _am_ younger than you two," the blonde teased, getting a playful glare from the men.

"Just don't do anything stupid," the Islamic woman teased as the others told Perry to have fun as they left.

The two walked, reaching a nice looking bar, and right across from it was a small market that sold lots of produce, the bar even selling some in their drinks or food.

Taking a seat in the back of the place, they settled on a couple of beers, the platypus not use to drinking, so nursed his to avoid getting drunk on the spot.

Dennis on the other hand just about downed his in one go, a big stupid grin on his face as they tossed jokes back and forth at each other.

"There's a reason this place is a favorite of mine aside being close to home to hang alone or take Seri to," the white haired man snickered, his face beginning to turn red after his fourth beer was gone.

"Pray tell," Perry joked, feeling giddy from the drinks, having finished about half of his third one.

He could get used to this, sure he's never been a drinker in more ways than one, but a few fun rounds like this, he wouldn't mind. It helped relax him far more than any soda and water ever did since coming to this terrifying world.

Then again, he always felt more relaxed when he got chatting with Dennis, even hanging out with him as they are now. It was if the other knew just how to cheer him up whether he was upset or not.

"The market across the street, they always seem to have the best damn carrots I ever laid my eyes on. If I didn't have Seri to keep me in line, I might've made myself completely broke buying them all," he laughed nervously, waving a waitress over to order two more refills.

After their drinks were replenished, Perry couldn't help but start laughing at the irony of his friend's words.

"You know, you remind me of this guy I knew back in my old town. He loved carrots in an obsessive level too. Even had the same name as you," he hiccupped, the effect of the drinks starting to get to him.

"Glad to know you still remember me," Dennis joked softly, his face appearing more sober as he held a serious, but playful look. "Been a long time, _hasn't_ it, Agent P?"

Perry nearly choked on his drink as he stared at the other in shock, instantly sobering at those words.

There was no way this guy could be him!

There was no way he would even know about his real identity, he made sure everyone kept their lips tight.

Hell, he hasn't even told them everything from his secret agent life since some of it was uncomfortable.

And despite how drunk he felt before, he was sure as hell careful not to let anything slip, or if they did, it was mixed perfectly with a lie.

"D-Dennis?" he stuttered, eyes wide as he stared at the other in shock, still not believing that the man he's considered as a friend is _actually_ his enemy. "How? Why? What happened?"

"If you remember, I managed to bust out of prison a second time, without your nemesis' help this time."

"I remember, but then you simply vanished."

"Exactly, it wasn't my intention to do so… I'll admit, when I got out, I wanted to make you pay for everything. I even planned on going after your family to get my revenge," the other started, seeing the other tensing before giving a look. "I don't have those thoughts anymore; I can assure you on that."

"Then what _happened_ to you?" Perry asked, mindful of how loud he is than he had been previously.

"To put it bluntly, I got kidnapped by a whore. She found me and offered to help me get revenge against you and the O.W.C.A. But since the last time didn't go so well and I got this horrible feeling off of her, I tried to escape. Next thing I knew was being grabbed and restrained, unable to get myself free."

"Oh god, you were turned human by that child…that monster, Anax…"

"Exactly, she turned me into this among other animals and aliens they've captured. However, I had been deemed valuable for some other experiments that crazy brat had going on. I only got away because someone fucked up the records and mixed me up with another rabbit they experimented on. Seems she never found out or by the time she did, it was too late as you can see."

"But how _did_ you escape though? I doubt they would've let you go."

"When the mix up occurred, I had been sent to a brothel. I had dozens of men and women, mostly men touching me in places I never wanted to be touched before. I had so many inside me it. When I think about it now, I just want to vomit, not just for what was done to me, but my lack of resistance. I just let it happen, as if I asked for it, that I had begged for it!"

Perry felt his heart break as he heard the other starting to crack, the cheery mask he always wore falling away, a mask even _he_ fell for.

Taking his hand into his, he gave him a sympathetic look, giving him a reassuring squeeze that seemed to settle the other down a little.

"I don't know exactly how I escaped, but one day I just snapped. One of the regulars wanted to try something with me. I don't remember what it was, but it made me lose it. I started screaming, kicking and fighting, all the things I wanted to do since I was first brought there. Somehow in the struggle, one of them got behind me and struck me hard, probably thinking they killed me or left me brain dead."

"So they threw you away, like trash?"

"Exactly, they must've opened a portal or something and threw me into it. I don't even _know_ if they did it or _why_ exactly. They easily could've fed me to the Hollows or other demons as they've done with dozens of others."

Instantly, Perry remembered the redheaded man who gave him the bloodied map, wondering if maybe he showed up to save him last minute. And if not him particularly, maybe Dennis at that moment had his own fallen angel come save him.

"When I finally woke up, I literally had no memory. I didn't remember the agency, that I was a rabbit, I had been tortured and raped repeatedly."

"Oh god…"

"All I knew was my name, a few of my likes and dislikes. My head hurt horribly, bleeding even as I stumbled around. I was cold, I was scared, I was barely clothed, covered in wounds that should never have been there in the first place."

"What happened to you?"

"As I said, I simply stumbled around, trying to get my bearings without even knowing why. I was near a part of a city that was popular for tourist groups to go and learn history. That's where I first met Seri, though it was a rather _interesting_ first encounter for both of us."

"How so?"

"At the time, she was a tour guide, using it to help her study to become a nurse with the money she earned. Plus it gave her a chance to learn other languages than what her home offered, what her parents could teach her themselves."

"But how did you two meet exactly?"

"She was showing a couple of idiots around, they tried to take advantage of her and I heard her screaming. Something inside me snapped though. When I saw what they tried to do to her, my mind went blank. All I saw, all I could see was myself in her position, begging and pleading for my assaults to stop as she had been."

"You must've saved her then?"

"Of course I saved her, idiot. Somehow, despite my state of mind, I somehow retained all my skills. I really gave those guys a thorough beating, breaking their bones, nearly killed them if Seri hadn't stopped me. But I didn't listen to her right away though, not because I didn't _want_ to stop, or maybe I didn't, but it was more I didn't _know_ she wanted me to stop."

"I can understand…on both parts. But with the latter, she wouldn't know what language you spoke. She was likely scared and not focused, and if you weren't speaking coherently, it'd be hard to know what language you spoke to."

"Pretty much."

"But, what _finally_ got you to stop though?"

"She grabbed my arms before I could grab a discarded pipe to smash them further. I was ready to hit her, my mind high on fear, thinking, _believing_ that she was going to hurt me next. But when I saw her terrified face, what mine must've looked like, may have _always_ looked like, I stopped. I just stared at her and broke down. I broke down and cried like a little kid. When I think about it now, I probably looked like a mentally challenged man with the mindset _of_ a child that day."

"Dennis…" Perry whispered sadly.

He could see how the other was upset, but he held a bitter smile on his face, even poking fun at himself.

The white haired man continued, the smile remaining on his face, watching as it slowly became more warm than bitter.

"With most people I'm sure, they would have had me sent to some psych ward, believing I could be a danger, but Seri wasn't like most people."

"What do you mean?"

"When she calmed me down, she managed to retrieve her phone and call the police. I can only guess those bastards threw it from her reach when they attacked her before I came onto the scene. The police tried talking to me, even got doctors, psychologists to talk to me, but I went mute. But it wasn't just that, I also wouldn't let go of Seri, it was like I imprinted on her. When they tried to pull us apart, I started screaming, thrashing, trying to reach her. I don't entirely know why I did that, not sure if I'll ever know."

"It could be your animal instincts, I still have mine despite what I am, you must've kept yours as well. We can both agree that our instincts are far more sensitive than a human's, where we can basically see into one's heart in a sense."

"That might be true, and let's not forget that reiatsu thing people likely blabbed on about when we were prisoners."

"That too."

"But getting back on topic, whenever I flipped out, Seri came to comfort me. Just through simple gestures, I settled down, focusing on her while I was examined for injuries. Doctors determined I had PTS, no surprise there, and obviously a concussion thanks to the lump on my head."

"Did they think amnesia too?"

"Not at first, not until they finally got me to talk and I told them I didn't remember anything past waking up in the sand."

"It must've puzzled them."

"It did because of my clothes, but figured I must've been trafficked and somehow got away or abandoned for whatever reason. But since I had no documentation, and very little of my memory to help them learn anything about who I was, they were at a loss."

"Even if you _did_ have your memory, wouldn't help since you weren't born here in a literal sense."

"Yeah, probably a good thing I _had_ amnesia at the time or it would've gotten a lot weirder answering questions."

As the former Rogue talked more, Perry took it all in, still shocked that the man he called his friend had actually been his enemy. He never saw it coming, nor expected that this kind, gentle, helpful, honorable man was the very same rabbit.

It was pretty hard to believe that this was the same person, the same _animal_ who had betrayed the agency and tried destroying it multiple times.

Although, now that he thought about it, the agent felt like kicking himself for not seeing the signs sooner.

Both versions had white, one with fur, the other soft hair that felt like the very same fur few times he's touched it. They both had the same eye color, course now the former Rogue's were bloodshot between the drinking and crying.

Upon closer inspection, the platypus noticed that two of his front teeth seemed to protrude out a bit more, but it was mostly hidden.

He guessed that he might've gotten braces when he had amnesia while staying with Seri. If he didn't get them fixed then, it is likely Anax had a hand in it very much as she did regarding his eyesight.

He nearly did a double take, staring at the other in shock, "Wait, she didn't know any English at all?"

"I know, it's a bit surprising, but where she lived in didn't really have that many American tourists, not even businesses. So the language wasn't as heavily focused, instead focusing on the ones that were important. Of course, Seri had been learning, having wanted to go to America to learn more medicine, maybe even work there if she couldn't here. But what she learned wasn't enough for us to properly speak, so yeah, in a sense, she didn't know any at all."

"And yet, despite that, something still grew between you two if you became so close, marrying each other even."

"You're right about that. It was difficult when it came translating, but she helped me regardless. Even her parents helped out, opening their home to me than forcing me to stay in some sterile hospital, poked and prodded. They all helped me learn, they helped me build a new life, a new identity if you will. If it wasn't for them, I wouldn't be where I am right now."

"That's amazing," Perry spoke, completely in awe at what he heard.

Part of him couldn't help but wonder if he had been influenced by Seri and her parents in regards of generosity. It would certainly explain how he helped him in the hospital, not batting an eye at the expense.

"Over time, with help of a translator to guide us both, we eventually learned each other's languages. It was amazing learning her culture, so different from American culture, and while it has violent parts, what culture doesn't, am I right?"

"That's true, even back home, it wasn't always peaceful. We had wars time to time because of some issue."

"At least it was more tamed than here."

"Yeah."

"Which brings up how we got where we are helping diclonii," Dennis spoke as he took a rather deep breath.

"It would be interesting to hear it," Perry spoke with a thin smile, seeing the other roll his eyes, though did appear serious as was he.

"For whatever reason, there weren't that many in the Middle East compared to most other countries. I don't know if it was due to less men being infected or more were killed than what's recorded, who knows. But the few that did live long enough, that I got to see, meet and help when they needed it as did Seri, we started to hear about support groups for them."

"So the groups attracted you two?"

"Yeah, I don't know why, but the more I learned about them, I felt something, like some sort of kinship, especially those who had been experimented on."

"That's understandable; I feel the same as well."

"Yeah, but this is coming from someone who didn't even _remember_ he was an experiment at the time. Didn't even remember what he really was, that he wasn't always human," the other half joked as he toyed with his glass a little.

"But you felt something regardless, and you wanted to help as much as Seri did?"

"Exactly, we finished any schooling we had to take. We helped one another prepare for tests to get our citizenship, to get green cards so we could safely fly to America and start our new lives there. As we worked to that goal, Seri helped contact the support groups, proving we honestly wanted to help."

"So they helped you get here?"

"Yup, without them, it would've taken a lot more work getting all the necessary paperwork filed for our green cards and passports. They even helped us out by loaning some money so we could buy a home and get settled when we first came to town."

"When did you and Seri get married though? In all the chaos, I doubt you had time to get it done when moving."

"I know it'll sound nuts, but while the two of us had just met, something between us clicked and knew we were in love. So before we moved here, before things were set, we got married. While it _is_ traditional for her to take my name, I didn't really have one than what was given to me for my new life."

"So you asked to take hers instead?"

"Yeah, I felt more at home with their name than what was put on my papers."

The two afterwards sat in silence; the former rabbit letting everything he said sink into the other's brain.

He knew that it was probably far greater than what he told him regarding the diclinous problem itself.

Eventually, the former platypus decided to speak, finding his voice cracked a little from the wave of emotions threatening to bust through and make a scene.

"Dennis, when _did_ you get your memories back?"

"First mission Seri and I were on after coming here and joining up with a group to save a few kids. I remember it pretty well, we were successful, but I took a hard hit, almost costing me my life. It was too damn close, but somehow it brought back all my memories from when we were in our world to that hellhole."

"I don't want to sound rude, but what about the O.W.C.A.? I know how much you hated the agency, how much you hated everyone, me especially. If you got the chance, would you still destroy it? Would you still try to make my life miserable, try to _kill_ me?"

Shaking his head, he gave his former rival and enemy, now a best friend a comforting look, as if a weight had been lifted.

"No, I hold no desires for revenge against you guys anymore. It's all in the past now, I made a new life here. I'm doing something I honestly believe is right, something that's dangerous, but right no less."

"I'm glad to know things have worked out for you," Perry sighed happily, letting a few droplets of tears fall. "You're so much braver than I had been, when I had been held captive and experimented on."

"I still have nightmares, feigning amnesia whenever asked if I remember anything when I wake up crying. I feel horrible lying to Seri, but I know she wouldn't believe me if I told her that I was raped and beaten by _actual_ monsters than figurative ones."

"I hadn't been raped, I can't say, nor will I say I know how it feels, but I know the pain you endured being beaten, being experimented on. They were going to make me kill innocent people too, possibly put me through more of their sick experiments to make me stronger, make me into a freak of nature. However, I broke far worse than you had and possibly far sooner than you must have."

At this, before Dennis could question, Perry lifted his sleeves up, careful no one else was watching, showing the scars.

"My god, Perry, what the hell did you do?" the other asked, grabbing an arm to examine, horrified at the sight.

"Isn't it obvious?"

"But still…"

"I would've died back then when I actually _did_ want to die, when I sliced my arms up. All I wanted when I was there to end my pain and suffering, wanting to reunite with my family. I honestly believed they were dead, not having any faith that they could've survived."

At that, he began to go into deeper explanation from the pain he went through, the lessons, the training, meeting Nerea, then great detail about his escape.

He watched the rabbit's expression, seeing horror in his eyes at what he endured, the risks he took, using his suicide attempt for his escape.

He told about the files he found relating to their world, finding faces that were also captured. He even mentioned the mysterious redhead who saved him, before roughly ending his tale when he landed here much like him, only far closer to his loved ones.

By the time he finally finished, the tears he tried holding back were coursing down his face, feeling his nose growing wet as he cried.

He didn't think he would break down so badly, having already done so many times now, having cried a little when listening to Dennis.

Despite any potential stares sent their way, the former Rogue shifted in his seat where he was next to the other, pulling him into a hug.

"It's alright now, it's over."

"Maybe for us, but not for Peter or Heinz…" he hiccupped, face buried into his friend's shoulder.

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	12. Chapter 12

Eventually they settled themselves, more so when their waitress asked if things were alright, having seen their emotional breakdown, the teal haired man's mostly.

When given privacy again, they talked some more, turning the depressing conversations they were having into something more positive.

They ordered a few more drinks, stronger than the beer they had previously, finishing their night out just about completely wasted.

Managing to keep steady, they used one another for support, Dennis apologizing for dropping all that on him as he did.

"Dennis, if I may ask, how _did_ you recognize us?"

"Your family, I can recognize that green hair anywhere, the semi high voices on some of them, even the style they wore. And it just about sealed the deal when I saw _you_, heard _your_ name, hearing how happy Phineas was to see you."

"I see…"

"Does he know?"

"Huh?"

"About you? As an agent?"

"Yeah, they all know. The agency's likely gone, what point _is_ there keeping it a secret now?"

"Got a point, do they know about me?"

"No, I never got that far, there are some things I wasn't sure was appropriate to share. I barely hesitated telling them about the time we crossed into that other dimension that paralleled our world and the reasons they had their memories wiped that time."

"The agency's habit of relocating agents if their identity is found out," the other grumbled softly.

"Yeah…"

"I'll admit, there are things I still don't like about the agency, but when you think about it, they had their reasons. They had to protect agents like you, even agents like me when I _was_ one of you. But most of all, they had to protect the host families we were assigned less their lives are put into danger."

"I knew that too and I think to an extent, Phineas understood," Perry sighed, the cool air slowly sobering him. "Just wish I was able to keep my collar."

"Hmm?"

"Besides being a key to get to a whole bunch of weapons and inventions the boys made that I secretly confiscated…it had photos of us when we were all babies. Anax ripped it off me when she began turning me, throwing it away along with my communicator and hat."

"If we do find this woman, or she finds Heinz and Peter and they tell her about you, she may find it, getting an idea what you look like, or looked like. And if she's as helpful as you've been told, she may search for you to ensure you're safe as well as returning it."

"That'd be a nice thought, that it's been found and kept safe, not burning in some incinerator or sold in a pawn shop."

Giving the former platypus a hug, Dennis gave him a mournful look, "If you're too wasted to get back home with the others, you're all welcome to stay the night."

"Thanks, don't know if I _could_ get home without passing out or puking my guts out over a railing or trash can."

"Yeah, we _might've_ gotten a bit carried away drinking."

"Least we knew when to stop before we _really_ got carried away," the other joked, earning a chuckle from the other. "Dennis, what you've told us about the diclonii…is there any way I could…"

"No," the other answered flatly, giving him a harsh look. "It's far too dangerous for you regardless of your skills. Right now, you have a lot on your hands just trying to keep those kids from getting torn apart. You don't need to be risking _your_ life saving strangers when _they_ need you more."

"But…"

"Seri and I do this because all we have _is_ each other. We know the dangers, we know we'll mourn if one of us dies, but we also promised we wouldn't stop trying to save those kids. I have no past aside from you, and Seri's parents had died a couple years back. All we have is each other, so we both have nothing to lose as well as having everything because of it."

"I get it, but…"

"And after seeing these," he added, gesturing to the teal haired man's arms, "I doubt you would last long trying to do what I do. Seri and I barely make it as is. Sure, we save some, but wanna know how many out of the numbers we failed to save? Twenty just in the last couple years since we started, twenty out of the two hundred we tried rescuing from a cruel life."

"Oh god…" the other gasped, feeling his lips quivering, unsure if he was going to break down or scream with rage.

"Just promise me you won't get involved the way I do, okay? I don't want to see you get hurt, see your family get hurt any more than they have already."

"Alright, I won't get involved, I promise," he submitted, knowing the other was right on just about everything.

If what he said was true, he doubt he would last long, not with how his mind is now, barely holding it together just for his family. He might completely lose it if he tried doing what Dennis does practically for a living now.

Then there was his family to think about, if he died, who would they have left? He couldn't bear to put the burden on Dennis or his wife, they had enough as is.

No, he couldn't get involved no matter how badly his instincts as an agent begged him too. He can't endanger himself, not while he's needed, while he's so emotionally and mentally fragile now.

His thoughts clearing up a bit and agreeing, they arrived back and settled for the night as did everyone else when learning they were staying. Then again, with how they looked and probably smelled, were probably grateful.

At that, they continued their friendship, going into a full year, celebrating birthdays together, holidays together even.

Due to Seri's heritage, she shared her culture's own celebrations when they came or mixed it in with those that already existed, even it meant bumping it a day or two.

Whenever that happened, Dennis became more active, clearly having adopted her culture happily.

However, there were a few dark days, namely whenever the happy couple would disappear for a couple days, coming home, locking themselves up.

It didn't take a genius to know that they were working, trying to save a diclinous child, failing, mourning and cursing their failure.

If it wasn't that, they likely tried becoming pregnant and failed in that, hopefully more frustrated than dealing with a miscarriage.

Days passed, autumn returning as the air began chilling, leaves turning colors and rain showers were more prominent.

"So you think Dennis and Seri are okay?" Jeremy asked suddenly.

Perry looked over as the two lowered the couch, Isabella having finished vacuuming the underside.

"I'm sure they are," he reassured, hearing the door open, revealing Candace followed by a crack of thunder making him jump.

"Still afraid of thunder?" the teenager teased as she set the bags down from shopping, heading towards the closet for a towel.

"I _was_ a platypus if you recall," the agent pouted as he shook slightly when lighter rumbles echoed outside.

"Right," she laughed as she poked her head out of her room, likely changing.

Hearing the phone ringing, Buford was the first to answer it, meaning it had to have been the mentioned couple from earlier. If it hadn't, he would've ignored it and let the answering machine pick up.

Perry would've left it be, ready to take the vacuum from the girl so he could get to the hard to reach places on the ceiling, but stopped.

Looking at the way smug grin on the boy's face turned to a visible frown to near horror worried him.

Before he knew it, he was right here, snatching the phone, ushering the boy away silently as he heard sobbing.

"Seri, what's wrong?" the agent asked, feeling his chest tightening, the storm outside not helping his growing anxiety.

**'****It…its Dennis…'** the woman sobbed hysterically, slipping into her language, the other trying to calm her down. **'They…they killed him. Dennis is dead!'**

Perry could feel the color drain from his face, barely taking notice of Phineas tugging his sleeve, trying to grab his attention.

"I'm coming over right now," he stated, the other thanking him between fitful cries, his whole body numb as he hung up.

"Perry?" the redhead asked nervously when seeing that look, reminding him of the times his former pet woke up from nightmares.

"I have to get to Dennis' place right now, something terrible happened," he answered as he began to grab a heavier coat and umbrella.

"But you look really upset," Isabella added nervously, taking her friend's arm as they held onto one another.

Giving a small sigh, he turned to everyone when they showed up, having heard some of the conversation going on between them.

"From what Seri just told me…Dennis just died."

Before the others could question him further on it, he was already out the door, umbrella forced open, running as fast as he could. He felt guilty leaving it like that, but he didn't want to waste time answering questions even he didn't know. He had to get to Seri and make sure she's okay, find out what happened exactly.

Arriving at their home, he knocked frantically at the door, shouting for her name, grateful she answered almost immediately.

"Thank you so much, Perry," Seri whimpered, eyes bloodshot as she let him in, fetching him a towel despite his objections.

"Seri, what happened?"

"We…we were sent out to retrieve more diclonii children, infants recently born in a small clinic. They were due to being sent out to a lab, so we had to make our move. We got them and heading back to one of our drop-offs. I was in the back, trying to calm a couple down when they started crying, and we got pulled over. It was one of those rogue gangs that kill diclonii when they can, pulling random cars over as if they were cops."

He let out a gasp as he listened how they forced the two out pf their car along with a couple others that were with them.

The wailing infants were inside, gun shots heard, Dennis screaming for them to stop, begging for them to spare them.

"I hadn't seen that broken look in his eyes in so long," she cried as she buried her face into her hands. "Oh Allah, I can't believe this happened! He tried to fight them off, but they shot him in the leg and pinned him. Then they took out those horrible machines to try scanning us."

"What?" the bluenette gasped, recalling these things, having been told about them by the couple, the now widow before him.

These things were useful in finding out if a woman is carrying or a man is infected, however they've been made illegal.

Not only did it invade their privacy regarding the pregnancy, but were dangerous, having some sort of radiation that causes blindness and miscarriages.

"They scanned the others before getting to Dennis, they weren't infected, but…but Dennis was. Somehow he had been infected with the Vector Virus and they saw our rings and went to scan me next. He lost it, despite his leg and burnt eye; he attacked them, trying to keep them away from me."

"Does that mean…"

"Yes, we found out a few weeks ago, we wanted to be sure it wasn't a mistake on the strips we got," she answered numbly. "It became a bloodbath after that. They started shooting at us; Dennis shielded me the entire time, the others managing to return fire. But they didn't make it either, they were fatally shot. By the time help arrived, it was too late, I lost not only friends and failed to save those innocent little angels, but I lost my husband. Our baby is without a father."

She buried her face into Perry's chest as he silently cried, holding her as tightly as he could, letting her scream her frustrations out.

She continued sobbing until she eventually passed out, the teal haired man lifting her up into his arms, locating her room.

He set her down, taking a chair to sit in along with a spare blanket.

He couldn't leave her alone like this, she was an emotional wreck right now, it wouldn't be right.

"Dennis…" she whispered in her sleep, tears leaking out of her closed eyes.

Perry gave her a sad look before pulling his phone out, texting Jeremy that he was staying the night to comfort Seri.

Bitter tears fell from his eyes, as he finished texting, the weight of reality crashing around him once more.

His best friend, a former enemy of his has just been ripped from his life, from his family's lives, his wife and unborn child's lives.

Part of him wanted to scream, calling the former rabbit an idiot, but held his tongue, knowing it wouldn't help.

Dennis told him this was his choice to try and save these children, something Seri knew and chose to do as well.

He only prayed that she'll be strong enough to keep going, not just for herself, but their child too.

But he still couldn't believe his ears that the former Rogue is dead, not after they finally put their ugly pasts behind them.

It wasn't fair, it wasn't fair to give him someone he could bond and share secrets with, secrets he couldn't bear on his own, nor inflict on the others. It wasn't fair to give him someone to have as a best friend, practically a brother then rip it away.

It felt like his world's been split in two, knowing his family; their friends must be feeling the same way. But he knew full well that his pain would never match what Seri must be feeling, is going through right now. While he lost a friend, she lost a husband, their unborn child losing a father, her pain far worse than his own.

As he began to fall asleep, occasionally woken up by a loud crack of thunder or the woman's whimpers, memories started drifting into his mind.

Memories of the surgeries plagued his mind, hearing that man laughing away before ending his life, Nerea struggling to stay strong.

Images of those awful reports regarding Peter and Doofenshmirtz plagued him, beginning to wonder if he'll ever get help.

No amount of research he's done, even with Dennis helping never got him any closer to find the infamous Shadow Queen.

If he knew her actual name than this title given to her, he might've done better, but it was all he had and it wasn't enough.

Why did life continue kicking him, after being stuck to the ground for so long and just started getting back up?

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	13. Chapter 13

Several months had passed, Dennis' funeral long over, the sky not once letting up being so bleak looking, so disturbingly cold.

Perry looked at the gray sky, a puff of cold air escaping his lips, eyes glazed with sorrow and agony.

Turning his gaze back at the tombstone, he read the inscription, feeling more tears forming, blurring his vision slightly.

Decorated around the stone were flowers, cards, photos, incense being some among other mementos given out by friends.

Slowly, Perry knelt down, placing a bouquet of flowers down, careful in what he chose, learning from Seri what colors he liked.

Afterwards, he pulled a small box from his coat pocket, revealing a small ceramic statue, setting it among the others.

It wasn't anything special, but saw it in a store, feeling it suited the redeemed man buried beneath them.

The statue was nothing more than a small white rabbit passing carrots out to other animals around it. It reminded him of Dennis' new nature, the kindness he brought to him and to others around him.

As he stood up, a small hiccup caught his attention, turning his head slightly to look at Phineas, seeing how broken and distraught the boy was.

It tore him apart to see him like this, recalling how loudly he cried at the funeral, how the others cried, some quieter than others.

Since Dennis' passing, the kids were a mess, even the teenagers and adult as well, but the kids seemed to have taken it much harder.

Phineas' bright smile just about completely disappeared, replaced with mourning and tears; he might've shut himself off if he didn't have others watching out for him.

Ferb nearly shut himself off as well, but because of how shaken his smaller brother, practically his twin had become, he pulled it together. While he was far quieter than normal, using simple gestures to get his point across than a witty comment, he seemed to manage better.

Baljeet and Isabella had constant nightmares to the point both slept with Candace and Jeremy, rarely with Perry as his bed was usually occupied by the brothers.

The smallest boy could barely stop shaking, hugging onto someone for comfort, no one pushing him away, understanding his actions perfectly.

As for the youngest girl, she was about the same as Phineas, rarely smiling, not even a forced one. Whenever night fell, she just about fell apart, unable to sleep in her bed alone, sometimes crying for her mother, even her dog.

Buford cried as well, but he did better holding it together, only letting his emotional wall down only around the oldest members. Instead, he found himself getting into more fights defending his friends who were caught crying at school and being picked on for it.

The teens themselves were in terrible shape, shaken up as bad as the others over the death, but were handling it better. Even so, they still cried, either into each other, Perry, or alone without causing further distress with the children. A few times, they had to take a sick leave from their jobs because it got too much, needing some space.

Perry himself, he cried probably the hardest, having gotten closest with the man next to the deceased's wife. Despite that, he had also managed to hold himself together best out of everyone.

He had to, not only for himself, but for the others.

They needed a strong parental figure for support and being the eldest, he had to fit that role as much as he too wanted to curl up and cry in a corner.

Pulling himself from his thoughts, he glanced once more at the boy before picking him up, seeing he was tired.

It was late, everyone had a rough day at school and work for others, but all still wanted to visit the grave when hearing Seri was going.

The agent was partially glad not only of his new strength, but the redhead remaining so small still, making him easier to carry.

As they began walking back home, staying in the back of the group, the rest walking ahead of them.

After a few minutes of silence, they came upon the large home, the Islamic woman insisting they move in.

With how much of a wreck they all were, it seemed like a good idea and was beginning to turn into one.

It made living easier, they now had far more space where everyone could each have a room of their own than forced to share.

They could finally have breathing room and separate when they needed it, avoiding any possibility of snapping at one another. Any chances of fights breaking out amongst one another minimized tremendously.

Perry wondered briefly if the reason behind her insistence they move in with her was for her own sake, but shook it off. Whether it was or wasn't, he was glad she opened her home like this.

Second she did, things began to brighten just a little, not only with more space, but Candace, Isabella even have an adult woman to talk with.

Now they had someone they could talk freely with whenever needed on anything that might be too embarrassing or uncomfortable to discuss with him.

"Why would anyone want to kill someone? Or hurt anyone for that matter? I don't understand it," a muffled voice whimpered with a few sniffles escaping him, pulling the agent out of his thoughts.

"I don't know, some people do I'm afraid," Perry sighed sadly as he nuzzled into the redhead's shoulder, carrying him to his and Ferb's room. "I was trained to do the same thing, though I never had to kill anyone and I'm grateful for that. I merely beat bad people up so they couldn't hurt or even think about killing someone. Dennis did the same exact thing for the diclonii, not wanting to see any more being hurt."

"Why do people have to die to bring happiness though?" the boy sobbed, burying his face into the other's chest.

"I never understood myself. I don't think anyone will, no matter how hard we try," Perry explained softly, kissing the top of the boy's head gently.

Afterwards, he began helping him get changed and tucked into bed to rest regardless of the time.

The small boy was exhausted; sleep was needed for his the sake of his health, for his sanity even.

He heard shuffling, barely glancing behind to see Ferb walking in, eyes bloodshot, obviously hearing the conversation.

"Come here," he whispered, opening an arm for the green haired boy to run in and cry openly, small gasps heard.

"Promise me you'll never die," Phineas begged softly, sleep beginning to take him as he watched the other help their brother get changed.

Perry paused as did the other, feeling their eyes on him as he slowly continued pulling night clothes out and taking the dirty ones.

"I'm sorry Phineas, but I don't think I can keep a promise like that. I don't think anyone can, I'm sorry," he finally answered, a few tears leaking from his eyes.

He glanced at the brothers, seeing that while they each had a bed of their own, they were clearly going to share a bed and by the looks on their faces, wanted him to join.

He gave the two a bitter smile, "But I will promise you that I'll be with you guys for as long as you need me. I'll fight my way through any obstacle with all my strength to make sure I get home, to show you that I'm okay."

"You promise?" Ferb asked, his and his brother's eyes lighting up with hope.

"I promise," he answered, hugging them before leaving to change and returning to help them sleep.

For a moment when they slept, he felt like his old self, felt like a pup when he first came home and the boys shared a bed and had him tucked in between.

In that moment, he felt at home, unsure if what he was feeling should be a good sign or not. In the end, he decided that it must be a good sign; it just had to be by how he was feeling now.

Days turned to weeks, months creeping in, winter hitting the town hard before spring made its debut.

When the snow fell though, it wreaked havoc on the city, sometimes to the point that the power went out.

Once the warmer weather finally took over, junkyards were overflowing with busted up cars, motorbikes, windows and more.

It cost the town thousands of dollars to replace all that was destroyed, between the trees falling or snowplows losing control and crashing into cars that had nowhere to park.

"Hey, take a look at this," Baljeet called out, drawing everyone in by the excited tone in his voice, the sounds of the news going on.

"What is it?" Seri asked as she got closer, eyes widening.

**_"_****_In other news, there have been apparently been reports about the diclonii, a dangerous species doing deeds we never expected to see," _**a newsman explained as he appeared in awe as well.**_ "Throughout winter, a number of them appeared out of nowhere for short periods of time. They were helping people without power, trapped in buildings with no food or heat in one manner or another. They would bring generators, food and water, even warm clothes before disappearing into the freezing night like phantoms."_**

"Oh my…" Seri gasped, eyes starting to sparkle with happy tears.

**_"_****_What do you have to say about this, Iris?"_**

**_"_****_Well, Richard, I have to say, I'm impressed, it seems we might have made a horrible judgment call regarding diclonii. Yes, they are dangerous, but at the same time, just like us, when a crisis occurs, they didn't hesitate at all to help those in need. They've brought food, water, blankets, things people desperately needed. They've even dragged those to sick and cold out to a hospital to get help. What's more, any men who were saved by them hadn't been infected."_**

**_"_****_That's amazing, so the infamous Vector Virus appears capable of being controlled by these girls?"_**

**_"_****_It appears so."_**

At that, they continued talking about the heroic deeds the girls brought, though did get some backlash. Most of it was phone calls of angry people, not liking how diclonii were being treated so well, treated as humans. But with every nasty phone call, about ten others showed support, some being the very people who've been saved.

"I can't believe what I'm hearing, I didn't think those girls, or any would find the courage to risk their lives like that. It has to be some miracle," the widow sobbed softly, tears spilling with a smile on her face.

"You think they'll ever get the same rights that we do?" Candace asked her as they sat together, taking a break from chores.

"I've been praying every day that they do, and it looks like it's happening," she answered with a sad smile, her hand resting over her stomach. "If we can put aside our fears, all of us, if we know what to do to support and help one another, then we may have a chance for survival."

"Dennis would've loved hearing this. He probably would be calling your higher ups to find out if any of those kids are his rescues. Knowing him, he'd be praising them and scolding them for endangering themselves like that," Perry half joked, the woman agreeing with a choked laugh.

"That he would, he's so protective over them. If it wasn't so dangerous here, we likely would have adopted some of those girls."

"Umm…if I can ask something, why _are_ so many of them girls? No offense to girls in general," Buford asked somewhat nervously, the adults and teens understanding.

He and the other kids never really got to learn about the diclonii, just bits and pieces, having felt they weren't ready.

Seeing how things are now, they felt they were now, so decided after lunch they would tell the kids everything left out.

"You remember what we told you, right?" Perry asked, sitting on the couch.

Instantly, he let out a small groan out when a familiar mop of red hair decided to use his lap as a landing pad.

"You're getting to old for this."

The redhead ignored him, knowing he wouldn't get tossed off, more so as Ferb joined the other side, though not on the lap, not enough room being left.

"They were originally discovered in Japan through research notes and interviews from people who dealt with a diclinous personally," Isabella answered.

"Yes, but we hadn't told you exactly how so many came to be aside from the obvious," Seri added as she set down a tray of fresh tea. "You know how you boys are constantly going through scanners at least once a month at school?"

"The ones similar to metal detectors?" Baljeet spoke up, "They have something to do with diclonii?"

"Yes, they're a newer, safer design to protect the children such as you without harming you. Those scanners will detect the change in your DNA sequence, namely the sperm men would produce."

Second she mentioned that, the boys, even the older ones couldn't help but blush, having recalled _"The Talk"_ and how awkward it had been.

When they got to the deeper details regarding it, Phineas and Isabella _both_ fainted from shock. It didn't help that when they came too later, the girl apparently fainted a second time later on.

Although this time, it was when she had gotten a private talk regarding her menstrual cycle, knowing it's due to start any time.

"Oh…oh…" the small boy stuttered, averting his gaze a little, a visible blush on his cheeks. "So they see if we somehow have that in case we…we at some point have sex when we're adults?"

"Exactly, and while this'll sound hypocritical on my part, I am glad for these scanners," she added with a nervous look.

"How come?"

"A diclinous has two methods of breeding, the first being from the original strain, or the queen and king. Obviously they can't breed fast enough if they were to do so together or others. Therefore, they use their vectors to infect men as they carry the most genetic coding in the development for a fetus and later baby."

"Really? That's actually kinda cool," Phineas spoke up albeit nervously, almost forgetting the earlier embarrassment.

"It is, though it has quite a few flaws in reproduction."

"What kind of flaws?"

"Take my baby, or any like me who are carrying, instead of a pure bred diclinous, we'll be giving birth to silpelits."

"Silpelits?"

"They're what diclonii are called born from women whose partner had been infected by another, including another silpelit."

"What makes them different though?"

"First, they age faster, so if you saw a five year old, she may end up looking twice that age. They're all female, no males ever being born that way. And finally, they're infertile, so they can only in a sense breed by infecting more men."

"So if they tried to take over the world with their species, they would in a sense die out," Ferb stated sadly, the others growing silent.

"I'm afraid so, and they're only doing this in such large numbers, leaving dozens of men either forced to sire diclonii or to be sterilized so they can't give birth. If both sides don't find a way to work together and learn to live side by side, we'll end up wiping each other out."

"So the fighting they do against each other, it's a fight that'll have no winners?" Phineas sighed, feeling his older brother hugging him tightly.

"Yeah…" Perry whispered loud enough for the others to hear as he let the smaller boy lean into him for comfort, the other sibling leaning in as well.

"Even so, diclonii are at risk to themselves as they are to humans when using their vectors, especially if they decided to launch a global scale attack."

"What do you mean?"

"Several years ago, there had been a queen in Japan dubbed Lucy, her real name if I recall being Kaede. During some major confrontation, the same time a synthesized version of the Vector Virus sent into the air, she had waged a global scale war."

"She did what?"

"Her vectors, when studied in the past, could only reach a few meters, in her anguish, she managed to have them reach just about worldwide. She had the strength to destroy ships, planes, buildings all over."

"But what does it do though to cause her harm?"

"The vectors, when used in an excessive manner as Kaede had done, starts to liquefy the body from the inside out. And it happened faster when she used them to heal a human she cared for deeply when he had been later interviewed."

"That's awful, the melting part I mean."

"I know it shows that while vectors are created on a telepathic means, they also act very much like a parasite, feeding off the body."

At this, the kids were silent, staring in horror at what they heard from the woman as she gave her cup a sad look.

"Hasn't there been a way to stop them from using their vectors? I mean, I think the usage of vectors are cool, _really_ cool, but if they can do that…" Phineas started, unsure how to finish.

"We've been trying to find methods, but so far have come up with nothing without it either endangering their lives or it's considered inhumane."

"So all we can do really is try to help them, keep them from listening to their instincts telling them to kill?" Ferb spoke softly, the others almost not hearing it.

They knew he wasn't really questioning it, merely repeating what had been told dozens of times before.

"Exactly, if they don't feel threatened, they don't have a psychotic break, then the chances of them living normal, happy lives are high. Sometimes, if they're raised by loving families, they may never even activate their vectors in the first place."

"But if they had a traumatic event, like us losing Dennis, if any of us were diclonii, wouldn't our vectors basically pop out?" Isabella nervously asked.

"That is true, at least with our group, we actually try to teach them how to control their vectors. The older girls we rescued and successfully helped in turn help the younger ones draw theirs out and controlling them."

"But it must be hard, being that they usually get their vectors when they're three," the young girl added, staring into her clasped hands.

"It can be very difficult dealing with these children. There have been times we've lost a few of our people, even a few of our rescues trying to help because the little ones had an innocent tantrum. Only instead of just screaming and thrash about, they had their vectors slicing things up as well, not realizing their own devastating strength."

"Little kids are hard to control," Candace added with a thin smile.

"I…I wouldn't have been all that surprised if that's how Dennis became infected in the first place. He always wanted to help the younger ones, the most traumatized, show them that they're loved and accepted."

"It shows how big a heart he has to go to such lengths," Jeremy spoke softly, placing a hand on the woman's shoulder, seeing her smile softly.

"It really does."

As they talked more, Perry's mind silently drifted off into his own hazy mind, curiosity claiming him.

Would their parents have accepted the kids if any were infected or actually been born a diclinous, or fear them as people do here?

He mentally shook his head, knowing that if such a thing did happen, he knew for sure Linda and Lawrence would love them all regardless. Especially the man, he almost always had a smile on his face and looked to a brighter day.

If anything, he probably would think it was really cool as Phineas does, thinking of all the cool things they could do than the horrible things they're capable of.

If diclonii were to show up and no one feared or tried hurting them and they felt safe where no backlash was needed, things would be so much different.

With their strength from the vectors, they could do so much help in construction, medicine, rescue works, even stealth operations.

He knew the agency would likely hire some to help with such things, and if they were trained in medicine, use their vectors to help with surgeries. They could help with knocking the person out, passing tools; even use the vectors themselves as tools.

But then his mind drifted to those who could potentially abuse them, namely the villains, some being relatively harmless, others ruthless.

He couldn't help but wonder what Heinz would do if he ever encountered one of these girls, getting over the initial panic about them.

Would he take them in as evil sidekicks?

They could easily help him build more inators faster than he could ever have dreamed, getting the job done faster before anyone would show up.

They would be unstoppable with how easy it'd be to restrain him or any other agent that comes crashing in.

But he also thought about the man's heart, that no matter how evil he acted, he was never truly malicious.

He grew up in a horrible life, if he found an abandoned child, an abandoned diclinous no less and learned about her, he'd take her in. He would see himself in her, refusing to let her grow up in misery as he had. He would give that child the kind of life he never got to experience. It'd be very much the same as how he tries to give Vanessa amazing birthdays to make up for his own horrible ones.

For some reason, it made him smile, grateful that when he did, the conversation had already brightened up, barely registering what they were even talking about.

Knowing Doofenshmirtz, he would adopt any little diclinous girl as his own out of love and pity. He could even imagine the smiles on his face, on Vanessa's even if she saw her father doing something like that.

_"__If you're still alive, Heinz, I _will_ find a way to rescue you,"_ Perry promised in his thoughts.

* * *

_**Please read and review**_


	14. Chapter 14

Everything was a haze, feeling nothing around his entire being, recalling how painful it had been who knows how long ago before going completely numb.

Hanging from the wall, each wrist was restrained by a cuff, the metal biting into the skin, not from any struggles, but the weight alone. It would've done more if his feet hung in the air, but they didn't, the ground adding a little support.

A steel collar was around the captive's throat, not for restraint, not even intentional humiliation, but support by its grim design.

A few more chains and shackles were wrapped around the body, giving minimal support to the body than letting it collapse the floor.

The captive, when doors opened to let brighter light inside showed a broken man, his once short and messy brown hair having grown longer. The locks were past his shoulders, no signs of getting it cut happening any time soon.

Bags that hung under his eyes now hung greater with tear streaks shining from the little light that was available, adding to his miserable look.

His deep blue eyes were glazed, hope for freedom long gone, every ounce of it shattered and crushed into fine sand.

The captive man's skin was once a rich color despite his previous occupation has now become almost as pale as his attire.

What he now wore consisted of a long sleeved jacket, the sleeves actually too long, falling down a bit to reveal the wrists. If he had been freed or allowed his arms down than hanging as he did, they would've gone past his hands. When looking at it, it almost gave him a childish appearance, more so if he were in a happier state.

The edges of the sleeves and down the sides of the arms were black as was the lining of the open jacket, the inside black as well.

The actual shirt itself was similar to what he used to wear as a top, though mostly white with more black trimmings. Near the center of the shirt, an opening was visible, revealing his sternum, the opening roughly the size of a softball, the edge black.

The V-neck had black lining, going down in a straight line to connect with the hole, branching out in three directions at the bottom. One reached towards the left, the other going right, the third going straight down.

The rest of his outfit, it consisted of white hakama with a black kaku obi, tabi and zōri, revealing wherever he was, it held an Asian influence.

The man held captive, held against his will, to those within the confining walls, he had been named Experiment 336. But his real name, one he vowed _never_ to forget so he would _never_ forget who he really is, what his life used to be, is Heinz Doofenshmirtz.

He is a brilliant man, at one time an evil scientist in the city of Danville, bearing a dream to one day take over the Tri-State area.

He wanted to one day beat his nemesis, a highly trained agent, a talented and kind platypus named Perry.

He bore dreams and hopes not only for that, but ensuring he could keep his daughter happy and knows that he loves her with all his heart. He wanted to one day _find_ true love; to fill the void his ex-wife couldn't somehow fill aside giving him a child.

He constantly craved for the love and respect of his biological parents, having always been overshadowed by his younger brother.

Sometimes he swore it had gone on long before his sibling was even born, conceived even, not entirely pushing such thoughts aside due to his lousy luck.

He had been raised by ocelots in his youth when disowned at one time by his parents before later returning them. He has even been considered more ocelot than human in the eyes of the O.W.C.A.

And yet, none of it mattered now, all of that was gone.

He was trapped here, never getting out.

He has become a true mad scientists' experiment, practically a plaything.

He had been made into a weapon, one for a superior they obey without question, practically enjoying the chores she gives to torture and maim innocent lives.

It made him sick, but it wasn't like it'd matter, he had no say, literally, his voice long gone, unsure when the day will come when he'd forget how he sounds.

If things had been different, if he had been told this than forced to endure it, never seeing the true evil, he would've laughed it off.

He would honestly believe that these people were simply nuts, having done drugs or going at the bottle too much.

But after all that's happened, after what he's seen, he knew without ever seeing this Darkness, their superior, she was a true demon. She wasn't a black hearted woman being called one, she was a literal demon, he was sure of it.

Every fear created and visualized in history, in every story told to children and adults, they were all real.

Monsters, demons, angels, gods and goddesses, they all exist…

Heinz slowly recalled how he came to this mess, his mind not wanting to remember it, the memories oh so painful.

He constantly wished he'd one day fall asleep and either wake up in his soft bed, sweating in fear or never waking up at all, going into an eternal sleep.

Despite how broken he had become something in the back of his head, almost like a strange voice told him not to give in.

He wasn't sure if he had finally gone insane, if it was his conscience talking or what, but it told him not to surrender to these monsters' whims.

He knew he couldn't let himself give in, let himself fall prey and become their weapon willingly, but he was at a loss of how to fight back.

He couldn't move even if he tried, or more he _couldn't_ feel himself move at all.

All his nerves had been severed, recalling the pain clearly, bringing a wave of tears to his eyes. It made it all the more painful as he would let out silent screams, forced to remember once more that his voice is gone.

He was helpless, not even sure how to use the power that had been given to him as part of the experiment.

Probably to ensure he didn't get ideas, so he was kept in the dark, only knowing it was powerful. Whatever it was, whatever this Hōgyoku was exactly, it was something that brought powerful men to their knees.

If he knew how that power worked, he could use it to either destroy himself, taking that power with him, so no one would have it, or use it to heal and escape.

Regardless, he wouldn't let these monsters have it, let them _use_ him to rule worlds, rule the universe.

The very idea made him sick to his stomach, enough to make the tears stop and dull eyes glaze with hatred.

Yet even with a burning hatred for what these people, these monsters were planning to do with the power he now held, he was still helpless.

They could easily use a spell or a piece of equipment, using him more as a battery to power other weapons or beings to do the job than him alone.

They could even make it where someone could operate him like a puppet, forcing him to fight, controlling his strengths and newfound powers.

The very thoughts made him lose that burning fire, defeat threatening to overwhelm and consume him.

The more he thought about it, the more he felt that nagging voice telling him not to give in more and more. It was then that he realized that it really _was_ his conscience talking to him, finding a strange comfort that he isn't totally lost.

At least it was like that before it began to change too, beginning to taunt him about his weakened state. Worst of all was when it teased him about how others would feel if they saw him like this, not fighting back, Perry especially.

_"__Why should the furry little bastard care?"_ he muttered to his old self, seeing that same smug look.

God, did he actually look like that?

No wonder he had so much trouble finding dates if he looked like a snarky, immature bastard most of the time.

How did he even get with Charlene long enough to marry and have Vanessa if he was like this?

Or was he _really_ like this?

Is this how he _really_ is to other people?

Or is it just an illusion of what he believes he's like, was like?

**_'_****_He cares about you'_** the voice replied calmly, hands stuffed in his pockets, the smug look never leaving.

_"__If he was alive somehow, why hasn't he rescued me?"_

**_'_****_He might not know you're in danger just yet. Give him time, you know Perry the Platypus, he _**always**_ comes to the rescue. Remember the plant minion?'_**

_"__I remember, but he _knew_ I was in danger. What if he never realizes that I'm in danger, what then?"_

**_'_****_There _**is**_ always this Panthera woman to come to your aid. She seems to be a pretty nasty thorn in their side and she likely knows magic. She would sense you and get you the fuck out of this place.'_**

_"__Oh yeah, getting rescued by another good guy is _really_ going to help me here. I have a weapon of mass destruction implanted inside me in order to make it work properly. She's likely going to destroy me than actually save me if I'm ever found, if not her, then one of her goons would."_

**_'_****_You never know.'_**

_"__I'm supposed to be an evil genius! Why am I not happy about doing this, more compliant? Why do I feel so sick?"_

**_'_****_Are you _**really**_ evil then?'_**

_"__What do you mean?"_

**_'_****_Sure, a lot of your plans were pretty _**"evil"**_ but did you really have _**any**_ actual malice behind it? Come on, taking over the Tri-State area? What kind of goal is that? Or having pigeons poop on your little brother to get back at him? That's more a prank than actual evil.'_**

_"__Shut up! I am evil!"_

**_'_****_Oh, and let's not forget that doll you got Vanessa. What kind of evil genius or any true villain would go out of his way to buy a stupid toy? Why bother earning their kids' love when they could merely use fear to control their brats?'_**

_"__I could never hurt Vanessa like that…"_

**_'_****_Exactly, _**you**_ aren't evil. You do this evil genius gig for attention, attention your parents never gave you, no one _**ever**_ gave you.'_**

_"__That isn't true, I am evil!"_

**_'_****_Then why have most of your inators been on stupid reasons when you could aim so much more? Sure, taking over the Tri-State Area is a pretty good start before going for the world. You could make your own army with the citizens, using them for your plans among using robots.'_**

_"__I have no desire for world domination, that's for lunatics!"_

**_'_****_True, but aren't _**all**_ evil geniuses insane?'_**

_"__Shut up!"_

**_'_****_You didn't even get the idea to try and take over anything until you went on that blind date with Linda. She _**gave**_ you the idea for taking over the Tri-State Area in the first place, or have you forgotten?'_**

_"__Shut up!"_

**_'_****_You've gotten soft, especially as you became a father, as you continuously fought against Perry the Platypus.'_**

_"__Shut up, shut up, shut up!"_

**_'_****_Instead, you do these stupid little inators from turning bridges to broccoli to a laser that causes paper cuts.'_**

_"__Shut up!"_

**_'_****_You only do this to get attention. You don't do this for anything truly nefarious, or when you do, it's for childish reasons. You simply wanted someone to pay attention to you. You acted up freely as an adult where you couldn't as a child, because no one cared if you did. And when people _**did**_ pay attention to you, you feared and loathed it. Sort of hypocritical don't you think?'_**

_"__I said shut the fuck up!"_

Despite not feeling the action, he gritted his teeth, angry tears flowing down his face as his other self slowly faded away.

Part of him wanted him to stay, but didn't want to deal with that attitude twisting his thoughts, making him second guess himself.

Oh who is he kidding? He's been second guessing himself ever since he ended up in this awful place.

He could remember the first time he woke up here, in that white desert.

Why couldn't his terrible luck been a little kind and let him die right then and there than throwing him into a far worse fate?

* * *

_**I know this is rather short, may extend it if I get ideas or any like to throw some out there that might be interesting to use.**_

_**Please read and review**_


	15. Chapter 15

He could remember the day he landed here very well, landing the vast desert he later learns is far more than that.

He remembered the day he landed in Hueco Mundo, where his life had been forever changed…

"What happened?" he groaned, sitting on his hands and knees, staring into the wasteland, devoid of all life far as the eye could see.

The landscape was nothing more than pure white sand and what looked like dead white trees here and there. The sky was pitch black, meaning it had to be night, seeing the moon shining above. But he noticed there were no stars and the moon itself appeared cold and callous than romantic and inviting.

Looking down at himself, trying to remember what happened, he saw that he was a complete mess, far worse than he last recalled.

He tried to remember, bits and pieces reforming in his weary mind.

That's right, he made an inator, it was to collect all the thumbtacks and staples in Danville so people wouldn't have them to stick things up or keep papers together.

But Perry arrived that night just as he was getting finishing touches added, how he tried trapping the furry mammal. At first, the agent was dodging perfectly, but got overconfident it looked as he got tangled in some wires he set up as a trap.

He thought it was rather clever, a trap that didn't look like one, it was genius!

He went on his ramblings regarding the times he never had either things when he desperately needed and could never get them in stores or people loan him some.

By the time he finished, Perry had escaped and they fought a bit before his machine activated, collecting some before blowing up.

It actually got dangerous, the two shielding one another from flying staples and thumbtacks, the human getting a few scrapes from doing most of the shielding.

Sure, Perry has fur as possible protection, but he's a small animal. He wouldn't have survived that many tiny projectiles flying at him.

Why did he even save that furry bastard anyway?

He shook his head, trying to focus on what happened next, recalling sweeping up, Norm taking heavier, non-salvageable pieces to the dumpster.

After that, he fell asleep on the couch, feeling lazy about changing and going to bed properly. When he woke up, it was from a loud explosion and his entire building shaking to the point the floor and ceiling cracked.

He couldn't remember anymore, guessing that he must've gotten hit by a chunk of ceiling and blacked out.

But what was that though? An earthquake? If so, where is…

"Oh god, did I die?" he gasped, realization dawning on him on the possibility.

However, he paused when placing a hand over his chest, feeling his heart pounding frantically away in his terror.

Okay, so it looks like he's still alive, if not this is a _really_ fucked up way to be a ghost, not knowing if he was dead or not.

But if he really is dead, then where was he?

It couldn't be heaven, it was too depressing…

That could only mean he was in hell.

The thought made him quake with fear, pulling his tattered coat closer to him just as a sharp wind picked up.

Not sure why, he forced himself to his feet, hoping, almost praying he wasn't in such a place, that it's something else.

He was scared, honestly scared, not just for himself, but for his daughter, even Perry of all people, or platypi in this instance.

If he died in an earthquake, then what about them?

Are they okay? Are they hurt badly? Could they have died too?

He felt tears forming in his eyes, knowing full well that it wasn't the sand blowing in his face when the wind picked up.

What felt like hours, maybe days, Heinz collapsed next to a rock, his feet aching, sure blisters are forming, tempted to remove his shoes to relieve the pressure.

However, he was too tired to move, simply curling up into a fetal position in an attempt to stay warm.

As luck would have it, the wind picked up once more, blowing chilling wind and sand around him. He could feel his hair become gritty, mouthing starting to dry and fill with the substance when he breathed.

At some point, he fell asleep, waking up to his stomach growling painfully inside, making him cringe. He knew his body far too well; he had to have been wandering at least a few days with no food or water.

If there _is_ a chance he's alive, then he isn't going to last much longer here before he passes out from dehydration and hunger.

He had no way to search for water and there's nothing visibly alive to use his ocelot skills to try hunting, no matter how badly he was at it.

Despite the complaints of his body, he forced himself up again, his surprising iron will keeping him going. His very desire for answers about his daughter and nemesis were pushing him forward right now far greater than his need for sustenance.

He grimaced as the wind continued on for a bit, shivering from the cold, cursing himself for not wearing a longer sleeved shirt under his lab coat. The material was just too damn thin to keep him from freezing his ass off!

In his daze, almost hypnotized by the never ending dunes, he heard a rumble, wondering if he's going to get caught in another earthquake.

But the noise grew in volume; the ground barley moving beneath him, realizing what he was hearing was loud, thunderous footsteps followed by growling.

He hesitantly turned around, terrified of what could possibly be coming his way.

All the color drained from his face, eyes widening in pure terror, seeing the monster he caught sight of, it catching his sight in return.

"Watashitachi wa koko de nani ga arimasu ka? Ningendesu ka? Dono yō ni oishī," the beast chuckled darkly. _***1**_

The man quaked further with fear that it could actually talk, not caring that he didn't understand a single thing it said.

Its body was mostly black, a strange mask covering its face, it being mostly white with specks of red, unsure if it was decoration or dried blood.

When it opened its mouth, he could see the mask split open, acting more as a face, spotting two sets of teeth as a roar let loose.

Evil, truly evil yellow eyes stared at him hungrily, the other almost losing control over his legs as they shook harder and harder.

Before Heinz knew it, his primal instincts kicked in, forcing him to run with all his might, refusing to stop.

He could hear the monster behind him laugh; taunting him in the foreign language, realizing it was speaking one of the eastern languages.

No, right now wasn't the time to ask what language it spoke, not with his life in literal danger, knowing his instincts were telling him this. It was something his ocelot family taught him sometime before he returned to his real family.

He could practically hear it screaming at him that if he slowed down, if he tripped and fell, he was as good as dead.

It was a game of cat and mouse, and the brunette was the mouse!

"Anata wa dekirudakehayaku jikkō suru koto ga dekimasushi, kagiri, anata ga nozomu yō ni, ningen wa, watashi wa anata ni sugu ni jūbun ni taberu yo," the monster taunted, letting out another roaring laugh. _***2**_

"Help me! Anyone please help!" Heinz screamed as loudly as he could, tears and mucus running down his face, heart slamming in his chest.

He didn't care if he was already dead, if this might be a nightmare.

He didn't care; he didn't want to take chances.

He didn't want to die!

"Ōgoe de sukoshi otoko o sakebu, anata ga shimesu yori ōku no kyōfu wa, yori oishiku, anata no tamashī wa, aji ga." _***3**_

He wasn't sure how long he ran or how much longer he could keep it up, fact the beast behind him hasn't given up; not even sounding tired made his hope wither away.

It was going to get him! It was going to eat him, he was sure of it!

Just as he felt faint, ready to collapse, all hope to survive ripped away, a blast of violet energy flew above his head.

The shockwave from the blast was enough to send him tumbling into the ground with a painful grunt.

He could hear the beast behind scream in pain, causing him to turn around, seeing the mask crack and shatter.

It revealed a human face, an actual human face!

He didn't know who it was, but the face was there before the whole body was engulfed in flames.

"Iyana ikimono," a rather soothing voice spat, the sound of crunching sand under the owner's footsteps. _***4**_

From the sound alone, they were might lighter, meaning that whoever had apparently saved him was much, much smaller.

Tentatively, he looked at the source of the new sound, ignoring the crackling flames, eyes watering with tears still.

He could see a young looking man, appearing human even, bearing dark skin, meaning he could be of African descent. He had dark brown braids, a violet visor over his eyes, making it hard to tell what the color could be, though the distance between them didn't help either.

He was dressed just about in all white, black arm like bands with a strange looking orange scarf, if that's what it was, draped around his neck and shoulders.

At his side sat a sword, making the man shiver in fear, unsure if he really _was_ in safer hands or not.

Seeing the man walking closer, the brunette struggled to climb to his feet, but his body gave out. His body was just about spent, getting as far as his hands and knees, trembling like a child.

"Do…do you speak English?" Heinz stuttered, squeezing his eyes shut as the man finally reached him, scared what his fate may become.

"I've learned," the man replied softly, calmly kneeling down to the trembling figure, keeping some distance between them. "How did you get here?"

"I…I don't know. I just woke up here," he answered, coughing by how dry his throat felt, "do you have any water?"

Wordlessly, the mysterious man pulled what looked like a canteen, handing it to the other, letting him drink greedily from it.

"Thank…thank you," he panted, trying to keep his intake small.

He didn't need to get sick nor drink all the water up, who knows when they may need it next, where their destination may lead. And that's if he isn't abandoned here by this strange man first.

"What's your name?" the dark skinned man asked, taking the bottle back when the other was done, storing it into a hidden pouch.

"Heinz…Heinz Doofenshmirtz," he responded, struggling to stand, failing as his legs gave out a second time.

"Rest, we'll move once your strength has returned," the other nearly ordered, making the other bristle a little, but held his tongue.

He watched as the man sat down, appearing to meditate as the other let his aching muscles take a break, taking deep breaths whenever the wind didn't howl.

"You're the first person I met aside from that thing," the brunette muttered absent mindedly, not really bothered if he listened or not.

"How long have you been here?"

"I can't be certain; I just sort of woke up here as I said. It might've been a few days, five days tops. I can't be certain…"

"Where were you previously?"

"Danville, in my apartment," he answered, cursing his stupidity for not being more specific, but the look on the other's face said otherwise.

"Danville?" the other asked, as if something popped into his head.

Before Heinz could react, the other was on his feet, grabbing the other rather forcefully by the arm, dragging him to his feet.

He wanted to argue, but eyes landed on the sword, worrying of getting cut down if he fought back, maybe shot if he was the source of that blast.

He noticed that if he stood fully straight, he would be taller than his savior at least by a few inches, but shook the thought out of his head when being dragged off.

After a few minutes, he managed to pull himself out of the daze, knowing he still couldn't try fighting.

He was still tired and whatever he said had set the man off, which did cause him to worry, so figured he could try small talk.

If he proves he's no threat, maybe gain him an ally or something, he might be spared whatever this guy has planned.

"What _was_ that thing?" he asked, being the first thing to pop into his head.

"A Hollow," he answered bluntly.

"But what _is_ it?"

"If you _must_ know, a Hollow is the remains of a soul, namely a human soul who has lost their heart. In order to fill that hole, they'll continuously eat souls, be it friends or family, strangers even."

"They…they used to be human souls?"

"Sometimes animals, or any other species in the universe. But humans are the most common as they are one the most vulnerable to despair."

He couldn't help but stare in shock, unsure how to respond to such an answer, so let his eyes fall to the ground.

At some point, having kept his eyes downcast most of the time, he looked up, wondering where they were going.

At first, it was merely more desert, but eventually a large dome like structure came into view.

When they eventually got closer, reaching the walls, the brunette felt his jaw drop, not believing something like this even existed.

As they entered the building, the brunette was taken through various halls, wondering where he was being led to.

Was this the man's home?

Does he live alone or are there others living here to accommodate the vast size?

Despite looking like a single building, it also felt like he just entered a small city because of its size. Possibly all of Danville could fit inside this structure, maybe even more than that.

"Kaname, koreha daredesuka?" a silky sounding voice asked without warning. **_*5_**

Instantly, Heinz began looking around before finding a pillar in the center of the large room they walked into.

Bringing his gaze upwards, the pillar revealed to be a towering throne instead, two figures sitting at top.

In the seat itself was a young looking man, his legs crossed out of boredom, an arm used to hold his chin up as he eyed the two of them with mild interest.

Next to him, more on the arm sat a young girl, at least a pre-teen, maybe younger or older; it was hard to tell at the distance.

What he could tell between the two, the man was dressed mostly the same as his savior, albeit without the scarf and bore no sword.

His brown hair looked to be slicked back, a single curl hanging down the front of his handsome face.

The child with him dressed the same, theme wise at least, wearing a dress instead with what appeared to be white tights underneath when she innocently kicked her legs.

She had to be younger to do that without worry of people seeing up her skirt, he thought as he took in her other features quickly before averting his gaze.

He was surprised to see she had bright pink hair, the locks appearing to flow past her ankles. Her skin was pale, giving her a luminous glow as she gave an innocent smile at the man next to her and their guests.

Bowing to the man, the dark skinned male knelt down before speaking in his native tongue, Heinz knowing he was the topic.

He relaxed slightly when hearing what he could guess is the dark skinned man informing his leader of the language barrier, seeing the bemused look in the other's face.

"Very interesting indeed," he spoke softly and calmly, a small smile forming.

Slowly, he rose from his seat, the girl giving a quizzical look before grinning widely as she wrapped her arms around his torso.

He tenderly placed a supportive arm around her small frame before leaping down from their spot, landing elegantly onto the ground.

Seeing them much closer, he saw the man had cold, calculating brown eyes, yet they grew warm and tender when checking on the child.

He wasn't sure if the man was pretending to give the kid kindness or he honestly did care about her.

Looking at the child next, he saw her eyes were ruby red, filled with pure innocence and joy as she spoke in their language, smiling brightly.

But it wasn't that alone that drew his eyes to her head; he saw white protrusions sticking out, appearing like cat ears.

He noticed almost right away there was something sewn onto her dress, seeing the number for half embroidered.

Why that was done, he wasn't sure, and didn't feel like asking, nor know how to ask either…

"You speak German?" Heinz gasped, realizing what language the other just spoke in, eyes wide in awe.

"I've had a _long_ life to learn _many_ languages," the man smiled, sending a wave of terror through the other. "I figured it would be easier for all in this room to speak the same language."

"Aizen-sama's really nice like that," the child squeaked happily, hugging the man's torso as he patted her head, mindful of the horns.

_"__She speaks German and some Asian language, but not English?"_ Heinz wondered briefly before his attention was brought.

"I'm surprised you were able to survive," Aizen spoke softly, as if he wasn't talking to him, but the look in his eyes said otherwise.

"What do you mean?"

"Oh, _that_ Danville. Isn't that's the dimension where Szayel-sempai and the others were ordered to help set up Anax-san's new bombs, right?" the girl asked innocently, looking to the man she revered so endearingly.

"What?" he gasped when hearing those words.

He felt lightheaded, unsure if he was going to faint or throw up, maybe both as his vision faded a little.

"You…you used bombs to destroy my hometown?" he asked, feeling his body shaking, knowing it was no longer weariness.

Rage was beginning to bubble within him as he gritted his teeth, hands curling into tight fists.

"Actually, we used it to destroy the entire dimension along with a parallel one I think. It was an experiment to see if it was even possible," the girl giggled with a mischievous smile on her face. "Isn't it great though? With fewer humans alive, that means less to kill, so I have more time…"

Heinz didn't hear what she was going to say next, her earlier words setting his rage off to an uncontrollable level.

If he had known he was capable of feeling like this, feeling this much strength, it might've left Perry the Platypus quaking in fear. But he didn't care about that; he had something _far_ more important to take care of than duking it out with the agent.

Without any warning, the scientist charged at the smirking man, using a surprising amount of speed.

As he swung his fist, his only thoughts were filled of his daughter, his ex-wife, his brother, their parents, his nemesis, everyone he cared about and respected.

They were gone and this man was connected, possibly responsible for all their horrible deaths. The thought alone sent him further into his fury, an animalistic scream tearing from his throat.

Just as his fist was about to collide with the other's jaw, something grabbed it, stopping his furious assault.

He attempted to deliver a punch with his other arm, too infuriated to focus, snarling as it too was grabbed. Soon he felt his legs and torso grabbed, restraining him completely, no amount of struggling breaking him free.

Ready to snap his jaws much like his adoptive family would at whoever held him, he came to his senses when seeing nothing there.

No, there was something, seeing the faintest outline of transparent arms, the air they occupied distorted.

Logic returning than primal instinct, he followed them, tracing the arms that held him back to the child.

Eyes grew wide when another of the hands appeared on his throat, slowly crushing his windpipe, choking him to death.

"Eva-chan, honey, don't kill him," the calculating brunette chided gently, patting the girl on the head.

Second he made contact with her, she calmed down, relinquishing her hold over his throat, but still held an iron grip on his arms and legs.

"Yes, Aizen-sama."

Heinz saw the look in her eyes, she was willing to kill him, only hesitating because of what her apparent idol might say beforehand.

He wasn't sure if he should be more afraid for himself or for her if she's being manipulated due to her age.

"I'm honestly surprised you actually stood against my reiatsu the second I felt your killing intent," the man called Aizen chuckled softly. "Then again, Anax-sama _did_ have plans for you before you went missing. I could only assume this phenomenon is only _part_ of it."

He didn't like how that sounded, seeing the smile on the man staying in place, appearing crueler than before.

* * *

_**The character, Eva, is the same girl from another fanfic, **_Eva's Story_** for those who recognize her. And those who don't, I suggest reading it to get an idea of what her connections could be, more so in later chapters.**_

_**The Japanese used was done through Google Translate, so it may or may not be accurate. If any know a better/correct translation to use, let me know, including its source.**_

**_*1 _**"What do we have here? A human? How delicious."

**_*2 _**"You can run as fast and as long as you want, human, I'll eat you soon enough."

**_*3 _**"Scream louder little man, the more fear you show, the more delicious your soul will taste."

**_*4 _** "Disgusting creature."

**_*5 _**"Kaname, who is this?"

_**Please read and review**_


	16. Chapter 16

"Eva-chan, I'd like you to escort our _guest_ to one our available rooms, preferably one with a view he may enjoy. There is a very good chance he is _exactly_ what we need. If you feel threatened by him in any way, you're welcome to break his arms and legs to ensure he doesn't escape. Just avoid doing anything fatal and avoid infecting him."

"Of course, Aizen-sama," the girl grinned happily.

Using her transparent hands holding her captive, she acted like a puppeteer, guiding Heinz down several hallways.

As he was dragged off, he could hear them talking, unsure what they were saying as they slipped back to their native tongue.

Eventually, he was led into a room, the girl stopping outside as she forced him in, waving goodbye as the door slammed shut.

When the arms freed him, he ran to the door, slamming his fist against it, screaming to be let out.

He continued screaming and pounding at the door for hours until it was close to bleeding by how red and raw it felt.

Seeing he wasn't getting out any time soon, he decided to explore his given room, hoping to find something that'd help him.

There wasn't much inside, a plain looking white bed, a white sofa, a small table with a couple of chairs in the middle of the room. On one side of the room was a shelf filled with a few books. Although when he read the titles, he grimaced that they were in another language, meaning no means of passing time with them.

Spotting a window, he peeked outside, finding he was high off the ground, so using the sheets and blankets as a rope was out of the question.

Even if he did have enough of them, the window was pretty small, doubting he would be able to fit through easily. If he lost a few more pounds he might just be able to squeeze through, but that was about it, the bedding was still useless.

There was nothing he could find that'd help him escape, nothing he could use to build anything from a hovercraft to a teleportation device.

Just like the bedroom, the bathroom was pristine white, bearing all the necessities any would have.

"Not much originality," he grumbled at the blandness and lack of color in the two rooms as he looked around some more.

Rummaging through the cupboards and cabinets, he found fresh towels in various sizes. There was plenty of hand soap, at least a year's worth including toothpaste and a few tooth brushes. They even had a few bottles of shampoo and conditioners, making him raise a brow of what they could be doing.

"Why do I get a _really_ bad feeling about this?" he grumbled, deciding to use the sink to quench his returning thirst.

Satisfied, he decided to take advantage of what was in here, filling the tub, too exhausted to try standing for a quick shower. Plus his feet were killing him, so decided to look for any medicine to treat any blisters he had gotten.

Finding what he wanted, he set them aside for when he was done, climbing into the warm water, almost melting into complete relaxation, his feet stinging, but bearable.

He glanced at them, finding he did indeed have some, but they didn't look horrendous, so would slap a bit of the available cream on and leave his shoes off.

If these bastards wanna drag him off, they'll have to either have something to heal his feet fast or carry him. Course, he won't make it easy for them to simply take him away to wherever, he'll put up a struggle up until they knock him out.

Heinz almost wanted to sleep, but forced himself to remain awake, reminding himself that he isn't on vacation, that he's a prisoner.

"That son of a bitch," he growled darkly, recalling how callous Aizen looked when that girl, Eva, explained what these bombs did.

Eyes began to water, tears falling freely into the water as he drew his knees up, ignoring the twinge of pain from the soles of his feet.

"Vanessa…" he sobbed softly, realizing his little girl was dead.

He couldn't give her a proper, respectable burial, not even one for Perry, his parents, no one, not even for his most hated of enemies.

He cried harder, the water cooling after some time, the other beginning to shiver as he sat in the tub longer.

At some point, despite the water's cooler temperature, he reluctantly washed his body, getting all the sand that stuck to his person off.

As he cleaned his hair off, he was half tempted to let himself drown, but his survival instincts kicked in, preventing him from doing so.

Slowly, he climbed out, instinctively wrapping a towel around his waist, though didn't really care at this point. He did it out of reflex, something he always did if he had guests staying a night, even if that guest was mostly his nemesis.

Tending to his feet, proper bandages over those that broke or began to break, he numbly found himself doing his nightly ritual before bed.

He didn't care if it was day or not, it didn't seem like the sun would ever rise in this horrible place.

Finding no means of clothes to change into, he shook his tattered ones out; getting as much sand as he possibly could out of them.

Redressing, he allowed himself to fall into the bed, curling up, shaking as his emotions took control once more before passing out completely.

At some point, he felt his eyes twitch, not from light, but a sound, garnering his attention as he forced himself up into a sitting position.

Rubbing the sleep out of his eyes, he stared dumbly at a muscular young man, dressed much like the dark skinned man and Aizen, yet vastly different. He wore an open half jacket unlike the ones the other two wore, showing off his muscular chest.

He bore bright blue hair with markings on his eyes, giving him a feral look, reminding him of a beast, of his ocelot parents. But his most noticeable features had to be the jaw like protrusion on the side of his face and the hole in the middle of his stomach.

The sight of that gaping hole, it reminded Heinz of that monster called a Hollow, wondering if this man was the same or a subspecies.

The brunette had to think subspecies or some sort of hybrid once seeing the sword, finding it was somewhat similar to that dark skinned man's.

He took note of scars on the man, clearly battle scars, but from what, he dared not ask without infuriating this man. Just his grumbling face alone was enough to show he held a short fuse; he didn't need to be the one to set it off.

Hearing a soft clatter, he glanced over, finding the girl, Eva standing by the table, having set down a platter.

Before he could react, a pile of clothes were tossed into his face, making him shoot the bluenette a dark look.

"Why?" he growled, tossing the clothes to the floor, disgusted that they were in the same theme as everyone else's here.

He refused to wear them willingly, rather staying in his tattered, dirty ones for however long; even go naked if he had to.

"Why what?" the bluenette snapped, annoyed by the other's question, the other not bothered he didn't seem to understand him.

"How could you slaughter innocent just like that? All for some fucking experiment no less?" he screamed, glaring hatefully at him, not seeing the girl actually jumped and ducked out of the room in fear.

"Oh that, what's the big deal?"

The man now bore almost a wolfish grin, as if pleased hearing about this particular event or seeing someone was getting so upset over it.

"What's the big deal?" the brunette mimicked in anger, glaring at the other that his smile disappeared into a frown. "There were innocent people living there! It's one thing to take over something, but completely different butchering them like pigs!"

"_Tch_…if anyone else able to survive like you did, then they're simply lucky bastards. Any who didn't, then it just means there are fewer weaklings to deal with in the end. It's survival of the fittest."

"Bastard!" the enraged male shouted, ignoring his sore body as he went to lunge at the other, ignoring he carried a sword or any other potential weapons.

Before he knew it, his throat was grabbed again, time however, it was by the man than invisible arms.

"You really _are_ a piece of work. I thought you're supposed to be some evil genius?" the bluenette taunted as he threw the other to the floor roughly, grinning when hearing him yelp. "Why would you get so upset that people died?"

"I…I had family, I had friends there and you bastards took them away," Heinz growled, his body shaking uncontrollably.

"Tough shit," he heard the other answer before storming out of the room, the door shutting behind him and the child.

"Fuck!"

Heinz curled up, screaming profanities he knew, profanities he forbade his daughter to use, even forbade himself to use around Perry.

Why did he have to have such horrible luck?

Why did he have to end up here of all places?

Why did he have to be the one to survive while everyone else died?

He was a nobody, he wasn't anything special!

He was weak, cowardly, annoying, hated, why spare him? There were others who were far more deserving to survive than himself.

He couldn't even kick a kickball correctly without using some invention, even then it cost him the game due to its weight and his cockiness.

Feeling his stomach groaning in protest of the lack of food it's received, he decided to at least see what they gave him.

If it was poisoned or they messed up and gave him something he's allergic too, then he could die, albeit horribly, but he didn't fully care.

All he knew was that if he tried starving, they may force feed him, maybe put him on an IV drip if he really fought while strapped down.

Lifting the lid, he stared at the bland looking meal, positive it had to be some sort of Japanese meal, recalling a few times he's eaten at such restaurants.

"Guess they're Japanese," he grumbled as he slowly ate, silently grateful for real utensils than forced to fumble with chopsticks.

When he finished, he made his way towards the bed, slipping on the clothes he threw, crying out when hitting his head.

It wasn't enough to knock him out, not even kill him, simply hurt like hell by how much it throbbed.

Glancing upwards, letting the spots dissipate, he spotted something of interest, having found a chest under the bed.

Pulling it out and opening the lid, he found something far more gratifying than the clothes given to him.

He had no means of learning their language, so he couldn't read, the books not even having pictures to entertain himself with.

He could lie in bed and cry his eyes out nonstop, curling up and never moving, but at some point, it'll get old even for him.

He needed something to occupy his mind, something to focus on; especially if there is some chance what he heard was a lie.

He didn't know why, but something inside him told him that they weren't entirely truthful about these bombs.

He couldn't figure out what it was, he was smart, but not _that_ smart, but hoped that he'll figure it out soon enough.

So he decided on the one thing he detested quite greatly as he changed into light weight pants and a loose shirt.

He decided he would start exercising.

From gym classes and the ocelots while growing up, he managed to do some form of laps around the room. He used the furniture similar to an obstacle course, maneuvering around them, using the available space he had.

It was clumsy at first, falling most of the time, but eventually found himself getting it down, changing it up with how he'd move about.

When he didn't do his laps, he worked on pushups and sit-ups, using his old clothes for cushioning for his lower back.

For weights, he toyed between carefully lifting the sofa or bed, careful not to seriously hurt himself.

He worked on his reflexes, increasing his reaction time with punching, kicks, even scratches if a fight got particularly nasty.

If these people were going to try laying a hand on him, he's going to give them one hell of a nasty surprise. He just had to be very mindful of what he's doing, hoping they won't find out his private workout sessions.

He could only imagine his nemesis doing the same thing daily to keep fit, to ensure he didn't gain unnecessary fat whenever they fought.

While he had no means of keeping track of time, he was slowly able to figure it out by following the meals. It had to have been weeks now, maybe a couple months since he first arrived here.

He couldn't be exactly sure, the lack of sun didn't help and he's been getting odd sensations the longer he's here.

It was almost like those sixth sense things as he'd know someone was at the door with food or a rare change of clothes.

At some point, he knew a great deal of time must've passed when he woke up, finding his arm draped over his chest.

When he sat up, letting it rest on his lap, he realized that his stomach wasn't as visible, looking almost normal.

Curious, he examined the rest of his body he had been working on, wanting to see how far it all went as he went to shower after a quick session after eating.

He was honestly surprised, while he wasn't as muscular as his brother, he was still in far better shape than he imagined.

If he knew he could look this good, he probably would've landed at least a few girls back home, maybe even beat his nemesis at his own game.

He could just imagine the surprised look on the platypus' face of getting his tail handed to him in hand to hand than weapons and tricks.

Thinking of Perry, his brief joy over his healthier looking form vanished, a frown returning as he leaned against the tiled wall.

"Perry the Platypus…please, _please_ be one of those lucky bastards who could have survived," he whispered softly, practically prayed into the steaming air and hot water. "I'll never forgive you if you died."

* * *

**_Please read and review_**


	17. Chapter 17

At some point, he was startled awake, nearly shooting to the ceiling when the door had been slammed open.

Staring at the sudden intrusion, he paled when seeing it wasn't the bluenette and Eva, but new people.

_"__This can't be good,"_ he half whimpered in his thoughts.

He held the blankets, his modesty overwhelming him when seeing that one of them was female and he was in nothing but underwear.

"Get dressed," the one with a spoon shaped collar snapped, throwing fresh clothes, the other ignoring as he stared. "Move it!"

With a small glare, he decided that they weren't going to leave, so he got up, seeing neither flinch as he gathered the clothes unconsciously.

Before they could object, he slammed the bathroom door shut, giving himself some privacy as he got ready.

"Damn pussy," he heard the spoon head tease, snarling at the woman, likely having gotten punched by her.

Just as he finished changing, he finally took notice that what he wore was what patients wear in hospitals.

He felt his heart sink, pushing his longer hair out of his face, not liking where this could go, not one bit.

Briefly, he glanced at his face, finding despite the sleep, he still had heavy bags, possibly heavier from nights he couldn't sleep.

His hair hung past his shoulders, having torn a piece of his lab coat off to make a hair tie when he'd exercise.

What little facial hair he could grow was visible; most of it was stubble, a small beard having grown. He was torn between shaving or leaving it be.

His answer was made when hearing the door wrenched open by the man, grabbing the brunette roughly by the arm.

Deciding to use what he's been working on, he surprised the man with surprising flexibility, tripping him.

"Fuck!"

"Need help?" the woman half teased, staying by her post at the door, a bemused smile beneath her collar.

"Fuck you!" the spoon head hissed as he rubbed his head, "Get back here you little shit!"

It took several minutes before Heinz was grabbed, his hair being the target, making him shout and snarl.

"Nnoitra, be careful with him," the woman suddenly scolded, crossing her arms, eyes staring at the two. "We can't hurt him."

"Yeah, yeah," the man grumbled, having been ready to punch the other.

"Dammit," the brunette growled softly, cursing that despite his apparent muscles and speed, it wasn't enough.

There wasn't a single scratch on this guy…

Maybe a headache later by how loud his skull sounded hitting the floor a few times, but it wasn't enough to feel good about it.

"Fuck is he though?" the man, Nnoitra, grumbled as he kept a firm hand on the brunette's shoulder, the other rubbing his head.

"He was raised by ocelots, likely picked up their habits. Pretty clever of him," the woman explained, practically complimenting the captured male about it.

Before he knew it, a bottle of water was held in his face, realizing she had pulled it out from a pouch she carried, offering it to him.

Hesitantly, seeing that there was a hint of kindness in those teal eyes, he accepted, taking small sips before handing it back to her.

When did he learn to understand them?

The brunette, out of fear of panicking and doing something stupid, he pondered the thought, trying to think when he started understanding them so well.

_"__The pills,"_ he silently gasped, recalling one day forced to take some with his meals right out of the blue.

He honestly thought he was going crazy when he later caught sight of the books, reading the covers perfectly.

Despite what he believed to be insanity, he took advantage of being able to read the once foreign language. He read all the books, finding them enjoyable despite his own misery swimming around him.

Just like his exercising, they kept his mind busy, keeping him focused than falling into permanent depression.

Having come to that conclusion, he decided to take in their appearance further, intimidated by the man as he still looked sour of the surprise attack.

He heard light clinking, knowing those were his bracelets whether it was from walking or rubbing his injured head, he couldn't be certain.

The other took notice, immaturely sticking his tongue out, the woman scoffing softly at his actions.

Heinz, while disturbed by it, mostly how long the muscle was, he was also silently horrified by the number five tattooed on it.

The text matched the number on the girl, Eva's dress, recalling the bluenette having a number on his back too, a gothic six if he's remembering right.

Averting his gaze as did the other, still fuming or maybe amused, he wasn't sure and didn't want to know.

Taking a hesitant glance at the woman, he took in her features, feeling a tiny tinge of heat forming on his cheeks by her top. If he had _ever_ caught Vanessa dressed like that, he would have blown a gasket.

Trying to avoid looking like a pervert, he could see a little bit of what appeared to be the woman's tattoo. He could just make it out, figuring it might've been a three, though could easily have been an eight as well. He doubted it was a five since the spoon head had that number already it seems and the blue haired wildcat has six.

Staring at the floor, he nearly stumbled and fell when they stopped abruptly, making him look up, seeing a set of doors.

Without having them open, he could smell the faintest of chemicals, realizing he had been taken to a laboratory.

Realizing what might be done to him, he let out a whimper, attempting to back away, ready to run as far and as fast as his legs would carry him.

Hands grabbed him, restraining him as he began kicking, crying for them to let go, struggling with every ounce of his strength.

He knew it was futile, he couldn't beat that Nnoitra guy, there's no way would he be able to beat him _and_ this woman together.

Both were surprised by how much energy he still had, using his long legs to brace himself at the door frame, preventing them from simply pushing him in.

If they tried, they'd end up breaking his legs, and they were ordered not to hurt him regardless how hard he fought.

So they were forced to wait and let him tire himself out, taking several minutes as they would make an attempt and he'd resist.

Once he was exhausted, the only thing he could do were a few whimpers and begging, the woman showing some brief sympathy as the other ignored his pleas.

It ended however when they came upon a man dressed similarly to them, but the design far more appropriate for a scientist. He had light pink hair, though couldn't see his front right away.

Next to him stood the girl, Eva, seeing her almost bounce excitedly as she watched him do whatever he was working on, that innocence shining.

"Tia-sempai! Nnoitra-sempai!" the girl greeted happily, having turned to see them, catching the other's attention when she tugged his jacket lightly.

"What do they want, angel?" he cooed gently, a warm smile on his face as he watched her dart into the snappy male's arms.

Heinz felt it surreal, seeing all the dead bodies littering glass tubes and jars, some in pieces, others still whole. He didn't even _want_ to know if any were still alive at this point, the fluid stabilizing them or some other means.

"Easy brat," Nnoitra grumbled, lazily pushing her off.

Despite how he sounded, a tiny smile formed, appearing to relax a little when she bounded into his arms like that.

Surprisingly, he gently pushed her back a bit, patting her head as many others seemed to do, the child grinning brightly.

"Ah, I see you brought him, perfect," the pink haired man grinned widely, gold eyes shining.

"So, did he do what we wanted, Granz?" the spoon head asked lazily as he stared at the various jars and chemicals, seemingly bored.

"Exactly as we wanted, Anax-sama was correct in her analysis about _this_ particular human," the other replied as he guided them to a separate room.

Much to Heinz's displeasure, he was brought along, seeing a gleaming table, his body trembling when recalling what he wore.

"Strap him to the table," the psychotic looking man ordered, the others rolling their eyes as they did what they were told.

He watched with amusement as the other attempted to resist, managing to deliver a sharp kick to Nnoitra, hearing a crunch and lots of swearing.

"Oh my, did you bring the Hōgyoku _with_ you?" he asked, surprise in his features as the struggling male was finally restrained to the table.

"Fuck no!" the injured man spat, holding his nose, finding no blood, though did accept some tissue from Eva.

"Likely is a side effect from the prolonged exposure," the woman spoke, adding her two cents into the conversation. "He put up quite a struggle when we tried getting him in here before. And Nnoitra had a lot of difficulty trying to catch him in his room."

"I see, seems that it truly _has_ accepted you to give you this much strength," the pink haired man chuckled. "You two are free to go, report to Aizen-sama that I'll be getting ready soon so Anax-sama can be contacted. She's running the project; I doubt she'd be too thrilled if I started without her."

"Whatever," the grumbling male growled as he stalked off.

"Sure," the woman answered with more respect as she quietly left before pausing, "do you wish for us to take Eva-chan?"

"I actually need her for a few things, but thank you for offering," the scientist smiled, waving the pair off.

"What do you need me for?" the girl asked with curious eyes, the man going over to a table, writing things down.

"As you know, because of my area of expertise, I've been just swamped with all sorts of projects to work with."

"I know that, silly," the child teased, earning a gentle ruffle of her hair.

"I just finished dealing with a few of those projects, but I hadn't gotten around to properly cleaning them as I should. Do you think you could be a good girl and clean them up for me?"

"Of course, Szayel-sempai, I love helping you!"

"That's a good girl, of the rooms, I want _this_ one cleaned first, and it's mostly set up for our friend here. I merely want to ensure it's in perfect condition before we go in."

"You're sick," Heinz spat, having finally caught his breath. "Making that kid clean your disgusting tables, tables you used to butcher who knows what."

"That's the beauty of it," the man grinned as the girl was already off to do her given tasks. "Her vectors can do all the work. She doesn't have to a touch a single drop of blood. She doesn't even have to step into a room if the smells are too much for her, merely observe through a window."

"It's still sick, she's just a child!"

"She's more than that; she's already killed dozens of men like you. Death is nothing to her. All that matters to her is the happiness of Aizen-sama, of the people she holds dear."

"What did you _do_ to her?"

"We didn't _do_ anything to her," he answered, his eyes softening as he thought about the girl. "No, it was you humans who _did_ this to her. We just picked up the broken pieces your kind left behind."

He stared in mixed horror at what he heard, barely taking in what he said about the child, body feeling numb.

"She…she was tortured?"

"Yes, Aizen-sama promised her that it will _never_ happen to her again. And I intend on keeping that promise," he stated, giving the other a dark look before his grin appeared once again. "But enough about that, Eva isn't our main topic. As you've said, _she's_ a child, not a specimen. Why don't we talk about what'll be done to _you_ instead?"

"What?"

"I'm sure you've figured some of it out."

"What the hell are you going to do to me?"

"I suppose it couldn't hurt, so long as I leave the _real_ important stuff out, the procedure should be fine," the man taunted as he tapped his finger against his chin, thinking briefly. "You'll be undergoing surgery before we implant the Hōgyoku inside you. With it, it'll give us all the power we want, leading Darkness-sama to victory in control over the entire universe, over all dimensions."

"D-Darkness?"

"Yes, she basically owns your little black heart, or grey heart I should say. If you were just a _tad_ more malicious, then we might've found other means. But you're too soft hearted despite your claims."

"Wait, what are you saying, that she's the literal root of all evil?"

"Exactly."

The brunette was quiet, his body shaking horribly at what heard, terrified of what he's landed into, what he led himself into by becoming evil himself.

"But why me?" he asked numbly as he watched the madman in front of him prepare some things, unsure if it had to do with him or not.

"To be honest, you as an individual are useless for the most part. But your soul on the other hand, that's what's making you special. For reasons only known to the Hōgyoku, it chose you, reacted to your pathetic reiatsu alone. It has never done so with any other, rejecting past test subjects, even rejecting Aizen-sama."

"How do you know that?"

"We were testing its reaction on various worlds, letting prisoners we captured or soon to be prisoners pass by it any number of ways. Eva-chan has been a great asset, able to carry it with her vectors without it ever draining or harming her. We understood that it's a sentient object, capable of choosing, hence the constant rejections of previous hosts."

Szayel paused, grinning almost insanely as he pressed a button, having what looked like robotic arms appear out of nowhere.

Heinz barely suppressed a yelp when they tore his clothes off, leaving him completely naked, face burning brightly.

"We believed it wanted vast quantity of souls, powerful souls even to sustain it, but it wasn't anything like that. We've yet to determine why, but while it needed those souls to become powerful, it still craved something, or _someone_ I should say."

The brunette watched the madman, focused on his every word, watching his every movement as he hit more switches.

He paled when seeing the arms returning, grabbing him, the straps undoing themselves as he felt instantly lightheaded.

"Don't want you dying now, do we?" Szayel laughed as he came over with a syringe, the other cringing as it pierced his arm.

"What…what's happening to me?" he gasped, feeling his strength returning, but nowhere enough to try and fight, the arms were too strong.

His thoughts froze, body shuddering when feeling a gloved hand trace his stomach, appearing interested.

"My, my, haven't we been busy? From your records, you were not a fan of rigorous exercise, yet here you are with a well-toned body."

"Get your hands off me!"

"Don't worry, you're not my type," he chuckled as he examined the body some more, taking some notes.

As he did that, the arms moved the brunette up slightly as more appeared with what looked like cleaning supplies.

The blue eyed scientist paled as he felt cold water splashing over him from a hose, realizing why the table was left as it was.

This was its purpose, cleaning future test subjects if they were going to be cut into, avoiding contamination.

"As for why you felt so light headed, that's because the food you've been eating was literally nothing."

"W-what?"

"It may have tasted like food, may have even smelled and felt like food, but it wasn't. It held no nutrition inside, nothing, no protein, vitamins, fats, salt, carbs, nothing at all. It was almost like you weren't eating at all."

"That's…that's impossible…"

"For the last six months, you've basically ate nothing, kept alive solely by the Hōgyoku's sheer will and desire for you. Without it, you would have withered away and died from malnutrition, your hard work with your body going to complete waste."

"Oh god…" Heinz gasped softly, his mind going blank.

The rest of the humiliating bath continued, gritting his teeth whenever washed awkwardly, the other ignoring any protests he'd make. Instead, he focused typing some things on a laptop or would be jotting down things in his notepad.

Eventually, he paused in his work, hand going to his ear, revealing he had a communicator, talking to the person on the other end.

At that moment, Heinz had mostly come out of his shock, struggling to listen in on what the conversation may be.

For all he knew, it could be a means to help him escape, maybe learn something of value he could use against them later.

But turned to be for naught, paling as he heard the man asking Eva if she was done getting the room set up.

The moment he saw him smiling wickedly, he knew the girl had finished or was just about done.

"Looks like in another five minutes, things should be ready for you. The room is just about ready and Anax-sama among other chosen surgeons has just arrived."

* * *

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	18. Chapter 18

When it was finally set up, Heinz, much to his horror, not only been cleaned, but completely shaved, scaring him further of what was to be done to him.

From there, he was carried on a gurney to the other room, barely clothed, eyes widening when brought into what he guessed had to be the operating room.

There were at least several people, some in robes, others in scrubs, unsure what the robed ones are up too.

Set onto the actual table, wrists and ankles restrained, he felt several needles pierce his skin, guessing they were IVs.

A gag was forced into his mouth, small enough to let him breath, more so as an oxygen mask had been placed over his face.

He felt something cold being inserted into his lower regions, likely to avoid messes if he relieved himself at some point.

Eyes darted about, trying to take in features, seeing the mad scientist, Szayel standing there, arms crossed as he gave a smug look.

Before he had a chance to beg for mercy, he felt excruciating pain shortly after hearing a couple of the robed men chant something.

A scream ripped from his throat as it went on for a few more minutes, teeth clenching down on the gag.

Once it ended and he was lying there, panting, tears stinging his eyes, mind blanketed in a fog, he stared numbly at the lights above him.

He barely caught what was being said, knowing it had to be about him, just focusing enough, trying to ignore the tingling pain.

"What was that spell?" he heard Szayel asked, sounding a bit alarmed.

"You recall what Aizen-san said, when he first had the Hōgyoku implanted inside himself? He had been in quite a bit of pain, having to adjust before making his _premature_ move onto Karakura Town?" a child's voice questioned, the tone filled with malice despite how innocent she sounded.

"I remember," the other answered softly.

"Aizen-san is a Shinigami, while Experiment 336 is human. While the Hōgyoku has seemingly chosen him, we have no idea how it'll affect him pain wise. It could be so unbearable that his heart bursts and dies before it's done, rendering the entire experiment a failure. Or it does everything in its own unique power to avoid causing him agony while being infused."

"That's understandable, so the spell has something to do with it?"

"Exactly, the spell was used to disrupt his body's natural aging, freezing it in time, very much as we all are."

"So, it is much like with Panthera and her army?"

"Very much so, course unlike them, _ours_ is done with purpose. Okāsama's spell when first used on them was meant to kill. Why it acts as an infectious disease, freezing people's ages, it is an anomaly. Then again, Panthera herself is one with her own usage of the dark arts, mixing it and science perfectly together."

"But why halt his aging now?"

"We have no idea how long this may take with the surgery alone. We could find ourselves done in a couple months, could take a few years. Also, if you _actually_ paid attention, Szayelaporro-san, you would find that this wasn't the only spell used," the child scolded, getting a soft growl from the other.

He listened, the brunette hearing as they talked, barely understanding, or more, he didn't want to understand nor believe what he was hearing.

He barely took notice in his stupor as they used a marker all over his body, marking off sections to work on.

Spells? As in _actual_ magic had been used on him, halting his aging, meaning he'll be stuck like this for all eternity?

The thought alone made him whine, the sound ignored as if he said nothing at all.

Then his thoughts turned this person these people seemed to dislike greatly, having a true enemy.

Who, whatever this Panthera must be, he couldn't help but wonder what she may do if she were to learn of his existence.

Would she come save him, regardless of who he is or what he might become?

Would she have a cold heart and kill him on the spot because of his own history, that he might be considered too dangerous to spare?

His mind began to drift, thinking once more about Perry, knowing regardless of what he becomes, the platypus would always save and protect him.

In an instant, he felt a knife pierce his flesh, realizing they began without ever giving him anesthetic to drown out the pain.

Screams tore from his throat, tears consciously flowing down his face as the pain continued, feeling every nerve on fire as they cut into him.

He located the source of the pain, finding they were working on his left foot, another scream ripping out of him as he felt the nails painfully removed.

Somehow, he remained awake, unable to black out from the sheer amount of pain, his throat hoarse from screaming so much.

Thinking the pain would never end, he almost didn't notice the entire foot from the ankle down had become completely numb.

No tingling sensations as if it was merely asleep, but nothing, realization dawning on him of what they were doing.

"Seems that is a success so far," the pink haired man's voice echoed, pinching the numbed flesh. "But if this is going to go on as long as you say it is, must we listen to his screaming whenever we work, Anax-sama?"

"We _cannot_ risk missing a single nerve, especially the major ones on each section we work on," the child's voice snapped angrily.

"We merely need his reactions; we have machines hooked up to help reveal if he's feeling pain still or not."

"I didn't take you for one to not lavish in such exquisite pain?" the child taunted, the brunette putting it together that she must be Anax.

"Normally, but aside not wanting to down several pots of tea and bottles of painkillers, I also fear of contamination."

"Contamination?" she growled dangerously, not liking the sound of it.

"Particularly from Yammy. Even if he had been ordered to stay away from here, you know how idiotic he is. If he felt the screams became too much if he's trying to sleep or eat, he would barge in here to tell us to shut him up. We wouldn't want that, _do_ we?"

"Fine," the child grumbled, sounding as if she might've been pouting.

The pink haired man made his way over to Heinz's head, grinning behind his mask as he pulled out a syringe.

The other let out a small whimper as he felt it pierce into his shoulder, very close to his throat, not wanting to know what was going to happen.

As he felt semi-sleepy, the area growing quite numb, much like how he'd feel if he went to a dentist and they had to numb the area for a filling or to do serious cleaning.

Despite how sleepy he felt, he paled when feeling light pressure going against his throat, knowing it was cutting in.

After a few hours, the pink haired man was done, setting the scalpel down as he worked using a thin thread to sew the area up. Once he was done, he used a spell of some sort, healing the entire thing as if nothing was done at all.

"There we go," Szayelaporro grinned as he had the tools quickly washed off before rejoining his associate at the main task.

Pain returned, this time further up the leg, the agonized man attempting to scream his pain, finding that his voice was gone.

Eyes shot wide, the drug used to numb his throat wearing off, tears pouring down faster at the knowledge that his vocal cords have been severed.

Sure, he hated his voice, but having it stolen like this, it was brutal, pure evil, making him cry harder.

He wasn't sure how much time passed, knowing it had to have been more than one day, weeks maybe passing. He only knew that due to the small breaks were given, not for his benefit, but the surgeons working on him.

Some of the surgeries done took longer, namely on location or because of the IVs having to be removed and relocated. Other times the pain became too much and they were forced to pause to let his heart rate lower or risk losing him. Then there were some that were more painful because of location, such as when they worked on his genitals or at a later point, his actual organs.

With the loss of his voice, the room was eerily quiet, only the sounds of machines and tools heard.

It drove the man nearly insane far more than the pain itself, the others somehow sensing it but ignored him as usual.

They only looked at him to test if parts were numb or stayed numb, that nothing had been missed.

At some point the silence must've been getting to the surgeons too as they made occasional chatter, namely talking about Anax's latest experiment.

"So, I hear your bombs went off beautifully," Szayelaporro spoke towards his superior, the child work diligently as he is.

"They did and didn't," she grumbled, gesturing for another to walk over with a suction clean up the excess blood spilt.

Heinz knew what they were talking about, knowing they were talking about his home, making more tears fall.

At this point, he couldn't even feel the tears, hell he couldn't even see right now, having bandaging covering his eyes from surgery done to them.

Why did they have to be so thorough, so perfect in their work?

Why couldn't they slip up and sever a major artery, letting him bleed out and die?

"How so?"

"There is still some existence that remains, meaning if the gods wish it, they could repair that realm entirely at any given point."

"That is problematic."

"It is, but I've found the issue and did another test and that time was perfect," Anax laughed darkly.

"Splendid, I can see why Darkness-sama revers you so. As much as I hate to admit it, but I doubt I would _ever_ have been able to design such a bomb to rip apart the fabric of space and time. To make its destructiveness so immense that nothing survives, nothing exists."

"Of course, what use would I be if I couldn't do what I was born for? I've exceeded her expectations, designing weapons and chemicals no one has ever seen before, in quantities and ranges people never dreamed could occur."

"Such as the humanization project?"

"Exactly, while it does exist in some dimensions, they have never truly been perfect in the design, in what _we_ would want. But I was able to do what none have been able to do with the sheer numbers of lab animals to work with."

"It must be taxing though, juggling all that work."

"Not at all if you play your hand right."

From there they turned the conversation to other topics, Heinz unsure if they knew he was listening or they simply got bored.

Either way, despite the pain, he let out a silent groan when the bandages were removed, allowing him to see. But it was more than that, the surgeries were done, various tubes and needles that were in him were being removed.

He blinked out of reflex, showing despite every inch of his body completely numbed, every nerve severed, he still had certain reflexes.

His hair had since grown back, albeit still very short on his head, far shorter than he would ever have wanted, but knew it was there. He watched as he was cleaned up, given a real bath than a simple spray down with a hose, some sort of liquefied meal forced down his throat.

He knew without looking, from how long he had been here, he must've looked horrible, unsure if anyone would recognize his broken form.

He watched his world go higher, knowing someone had picked him up after he had been dressed. He had seen the clothes briefly and much to his humiliation, a diaper as well, knowing he would have no control over such functions, not anymore at this point.

Managing to somehow move his head, he looked up, seeing a terrifying beast carry his body.

The body looked rather human, but the head, no heads were inside a glass tank, seeing that each had the number nine tattooed on them.

Normally he would've wanted to run and escape, but for some reason, he felt no fear, knowing there's no point. They weren't ever going to kill him; he was far too valuable for their research.

He let his head drop, watching as Szayelaporro walk over, a pleased look on his face as finished writing something down.

"Whether you care or not, your body's fully recovered now. We would have moved faster when we finished, but we couldn't risk the Hōgyoku healing you, undoing all our hard work and putting you through unnecessary pain."

_"__Unnecessary pain my ass,"_ the brunette growled in his thoughts, seeing the fake sorrow on his face.

"You know, Heinz-kun, it is an absolute shame that you'd never agree to our methods. If you had, then things might've gone a little differently. I might've been able to talk Anax into making the surgeries less painful while accomplishing our goals. I might even have had gotten a chance to try and convince Sagittarius-sama to be the very one to do the job than letting Anax-sama, what with his alchemy."

As he talked, he cupped the other's face, the action almost appearing tender and caring than the sadistic look in those gold eyes.

While he couldn't feel a thing, he knew he must've been making a face, barely seeing his reflection off the other's eyes.

With that, he pulled away, walking down the hall, gesturing for the man carrying his prized specimen to follow.

Eventually they reached a new room, the brunette somehow sensing something powerful inside even as everything was encased in darkness when the doors shut.

After a few minutes, a faint light began filling the room, the source being in the center, seeing Aizen and Eva standing near it.

"Is he ready?" the man asked with a sly smile.

"He's made a full recovery," Szayelaporro replied with a bow.

"I'll be honest; I grew concerned when his screams stopped some hours when you and Anax-sama began."

"Yes, aside risking migraines from it, I feared of someone such as Yammy bursting in, contaminating things. So I convinced Anax-sama that we should sever his vocal cords."

"I see," the man answered as he waved his hand towards a stone pillar, it somehow being the source of the light.

They watched as it broke itself down, revealing a glass case, a purple like orb floating inside.

"Eva-chan, I'd like you to use your vectors to hold Experiment 336 up while inserting the Hōgyoku into his body."

"Of course, Aizen-sama, is there a particular location you want it put?"

"Where the opening of his shirt is, my dear."

"Alright, Aizen-sama."

Heinz watched as the small girl used her transparent arms to take him from the monster's arms, held up as if he were a mere toy.

While he couldn't feel, he could tell that unlike last time, she was being very careful, likely due to how important he is.

Once she felt he was secured, she used any extras that weren't used to take the glass case from the pillar.

When it was less than a couple feet from his body, the man could see it reacting, acting as if it wanted him.

Despite being unable to feel anything, he swore that that he felt _something_, his strength replenishing.

_"__So that's what kept me alive for six months?"_ he wondered, not sure if he should despise it or thank it.

The sound of glass shattering, a vector having broken it, others catching the falling pieces as the sphere floated momentarily.

They all watched in mixed awe as it went towards the body, slowly pushing its way through the flesh, melding itself into him.

"Is it working, Aizen-sama? Szayel-sempai?" Eva asked innocently, looking between the two men.

In an instant, the girl fell to the floor, clutching her chest in pain, small cries escaping her. The others in the room stumbled momentarily, appearing to have difficulty breathing, eyes wide with concern.

"Eva!" the two shouted, rushing to her side as she struggled to breath.

In the sudden panic, her vectors had disappeared, relinquishing their hold over the brunette, letting him fall to the floor as well.

Soon as he hit the ground, hitting his head hard enough to knock him unconscious, the reiatsu pressure they were feeling died down quickly.

"Eva-chan! Eva-chan wake up!" Aizen shouted, panic shining in his eyes as he held the unconscious child.

"Let's get her to my lab to ensure she didn't receive internal damage," the pink haired man suggested, sharing the same look as the other.

If the brunette was conscious, he would've been in awe over how protective the two were as they fawned over the child.

"Yes…" the leader sighed, trying to compose himself before giving the third occupant a look. "Take him down to the lower levels where his power will be suppressed in a room. We cannot risk a repeat of this, risk him destroying Los Noches."

"Of course, Aizen-sama," two voices echoed from the tank as the body leaned down to scoop the unconscious brunette up.

"When you are done with him, I want you to put together a party and check on everyone, see if there are others who fell unconscious."

"Sir…"

"I gave you an order, Aaroniero!"

"Yes, sir."

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	19. Chapter 19

When Heinz finally woke up, he was surprised to find himself in some sort of white dungeon. The room would have been completely pitch black, but a sliver of light managed to find its way under the door on the other side of the room.

He didn't know what happened, only remembering that something made everyone collapse when the Hōgyoku had entered his body.

He remembered Aizen talking about how he had been somehow resistant to his reiatsu, wondering if any he had, had increased, making everyone crumble so easily.

He wasn't sure, unable to ask, instead forced to hang from the shackles, not knowing how they bit into his skin, marks forming.

His internal clock shot, he barely noticed months passing, his hair growing about as long as it was before he tied it back.

His nails would've grown much longer, but every so often, someone would walk in to tend to him. They would clean him up from changing his clothes, washing him, even trimming the nails, clearly wishing to ensure his health.

But they didn't do this out of concern, they treated him more as an object, no a tool to be maintained.

If only it was that to make him feel sickened, no, it got worse whenever a few would decide to take advantage of the man. They would touch and explore his body, the other unable to resist in any form, not even feeling it, yet he knew it when hearing their lust filled moans.

He wanted to vomit, he wanted to curl up and die than endure this unfeeling fate, tears coursing down his face as it went on for months.

_"__Stop touching me,"_ he sobbed in his head, wishing he had his voice to scream in hopes someone would take pity.

He squeezed his eyes shut to avoid watching what was being done to him, watching them masturbate as they abused him.

As if the object inside him heard his desperate plea, he released a violent burst of reiatsu, sending his attacker backwards, slamming him into a wall.

After that, he never returned, obviously scared of having that happen, somewhat relieving the man.

Slowly the same thing happened, sending all his abusers flying into walls, never seeing them again.

But one time, he unconsciously released a furious flare when hearing his latest molester talking about making him his.

He panicked, realizing he was going to be raped, not knowing how much power he released, watching as the body hit the wall hard.

He heard bones breaking, blood pooling, eyes devoid of all life, the body left there for hours before someone came to find the corpse.

Afterwards, only members of the Espada and their Fracción as he's come to learn were to tend to him.

While he released flares of reiatsu before, it was never this violent, which seemed to concern Aizen if he ordered his strongest to take care of him instead.

No one knew except for the silent man and the men who felt they got off the hook because of his forced silence.

The Espada took shifts depending who was sent, some going, others forcing their Fracción to go if they had any or they'd steal one to do the job.

Sometimes he would have one of Aizen's top two tend, recognizing Kaname, the man reintroducing himself when he first walked in.

If it wasn't him, it would be the fox faced man, Gin, taking care of him much to his slight annoyance.

"I don't get why Aizen would send meh to do this," the silver haired man spoke, sounding neither upset nor joyous. If anything, he sounded bored, confirming when he spoke again. "I'd rather be off watchin' Eva-chan, playin' games with the kid. She's such a joy to have, like havin' a little sister."

He just finished getting the brunette changed into fresh clothes, the dirty linen stuffed into a bag, the rest of the trash stuffed into another.

Getting the brunette back onto the shackles among other chains to add support to the body to avoid his circulation being completely cut off, he stepped back.

Not once did he stop smiling, but it wasn't malicious, it almost looked forced, the brunette unsure if the man was toying with him or was simply indifferent.

_"__Why can't anyone show some compassion? Show a little humanity?"_ he growled in his thoughts, his emotions getting the better of him once more.

Without warning, another burst of reiatsu exploded into the room, sending the silver haired man flying, crashing into a wall.

Heinz almost feared he killed another when seeing some blood trickling down his head, eventually hearing him groaning in pain, signaling he was alive.

Gin sluggishly forced himself to his feet, holding his head with one hand, wincing in discomfort from the action.

Trying to snap out of his daze, he actually opened his eyes, blinking in surprise, icy blue eyes staring into the ground.

Shaking his head a little, finding he was bleeding, using a spell to heal himself, his blue eyes were hidden once more in that same look, only no smile showed.

It looked as if something dawned on him, glancing around in confusion before looking at the chained man.

"Shit…" he cursed as he started to walk over, ready to unshackle, but stopped, hands trembling slightly. "No, I gotta think this clearly."

He felt deep blue eyes watching him, staring intently, the man opening his icy blue gaze to stare, pure sympathy in them.

"I don't know how ya broke that spell, but I can't thank ya enough. I can't get ya out now, there be no way we both get out alive, but I'll get help. I know people who'll come save ya and help ya out."

Seeing how torn up the other looked, realizing he was going to be left alone after given that faint glimmer of hope for escape being taken.

Looking into those deep and broken eyes, Gin felt his own emotions beginning to bubble inside him, wanting to take control and act on impulse.

With a gentle hand, he brushed some hair that fell into the other's face, tucking it behind his ear.

"I promise I'll get help, ya have to trust meh, okay? I know it's bad, but help will come, even if I have ta die tryin'."

Sensing truth in those words, seeing how gentle and sad his actions looked, the brunette couldn't help but grab onto that hope.

He watched with blurry eyes, tears falling freely as the other gathered his things and left, casting one last sad look in his direction.

It had been days since he last saw him, hearing bits and pieces of various men and women who tended to him, talking about Gin's escape.

He felt his hope slip away that someone had been sent to kill Gin before he could retrieve help, unsure if he was successful or not.

At some point, the brunette blinked when the door opened again, sensing someone walking inside, seeing two people.

One was a brown haired man with a mask fragment along his collarbone, the other looking like a preteen with a helmet over her head.

"Starrk, couldn't we let him at least sit? It's gotta be uncomfortable hanging like that," the girl almost whined pitifully for the captive.

"We're not allowed too, at least not now," the man spoke as he stifled a yawn, hands carrying a tray of food. "But it would seem like a good idea, it'd be pointless if he lost circulation in his arms."

Despite his lack of response, Heinz was surprised by the genuine concern these two seemed to show. It was similar to the blonde woman when she and Nnoitra had taken him to the lab for the surgeries.

The two were so strange, not only did they seem to treat him more as a person, but they treated each other more as siblings, as father and daughter even.

What had to be a bit unnerving to the captive male was how easy he was to read; Starrk knowing exactly what was on his mind.

Whenever his power surged, the two barely flinched, clearly not affected unlike every other who just about fainted.

Sensing his confusion, the man explained how they came to be, how they had so much power, it was difficult for them to be around others.

He talked about how they used to be one being, splitting apart, but still unable to find company outside each other. It kept on and on until Aizen eventually found them, taking them in, making him as they are.

Heinz felt bad for the two of them, wondering if they really wanted to be here, staying because they don't want to feel alone.

If he could simply talk, voice his words, he might be able to beg the man to free him, convince that the three could escape.

He could talk them into the three of them either running away some place safe or find this Panthera woman…

"Sometimes I wonder if it's worth it, working for Darkness-sama like this. Eva-chan agrees too. She constantly worries over Aizen-sama when it comes to her," Starrk mumbled off handedly one day.

It had to have been days, weeks even as these two just about have taken over tending to the brunette.

Heinz wasn't sure if the two were given the job because they were the most trust worthy or the fact they could survive when his power escaped his control.

In a strange way, he found comfort with these two; they treated him more openly, never hurting him or humiliating him.

Whenever he had to be cleaned, the girl, Lilynette, would be shooed out to make it less uncomfortable.

Whenever they'd visit, they would unshackle him from the wall, allowing him to sit with some dignity. Of course, it was hard not being able to feel anything, given lots of help before he was set so he wouldn't fall to one side or the other.

There have even been a few times Starrk would fall asleep in the very room, complaining how he didn't want to move after they were done.

Lilynette would start grumbling as she would have to drag him off or forcefully wake him up if he fell asleep before re-shackling their prisoner.

He barely missed when his, dare he say it, friend, began talking again, seeing a frown on his face.

"I don't know how much you know, but Darkness-sama is a _very_ vicious demon. She's extremely powerful and to match that power, she's completely insane. It doesn't give comfort that she has two younger siblings who are practically like her and a general who's an emotionless killing machine."

A few terrified tears leaked from the brunette's eyes, watching as the man gave him a sympathetic look as he wiped them away.

"Aizen-sama, he obeys her not out of devotion, at least not any more. He's absolutely terrified of her and her elites. He is willing to do _anything_ to avoid punishment, to earn her praise and maybe one day becomes one of those elites so he has _nothing_ to fear."

_"__Aizen's that afraid?"_ the other muttered in his thoughts as he listened.

"But it has become difficult for him to earn such respect far more than he would have wanted. We recently lost one of our strongest, our fourth strongest to be precise as well as a large number of our men. We didn't know so many were undercover or became traitors, joining Panthera."

Starrk paused briefly as he held the dish and spoon, a sad look in his eyes, barely bringing himself back out as he focused feeding the man once more.

"Aizen-sama would have likely been killed, all of us for such a huge screw up, but Eva-chan's presence made it impossible."

Seeing the confused look on the other's face, he couldn't suppress a small chuckle as he felt a tiny smile forming.

Expecting him to answer, the brunette heard Lilynette speaking instead.

"Eva-chan's a diclinous, an evolved human you could even say. Yes, she's actually human; she's alive just like you are. She isn't like us at all, species wise at least," she answered with a grin, seeing the surprised look. "But she feels like she's part of us, and in some ways, she is."

"If she hadn't been born with those horns, with an expanded pineal gland, she would've been an ordinary little girl. She would never have endured the nightmares, _still_ enduring them at night," Starrk added with a frown, the girl frowning as well.

"She is just a kid, _of course_ she'd have nightmares about what she went through, I think I would too if I went through that."

"I'm pretty sure I would too…"

"But at least she's here, sure there are some she doesn't like, but she's super close to a whole bunch. Like us and Szayelaporro for example," Lilynette grinned brightly. "I still can't believe she managed to weasel her way into Nnoitra's _"heart"_ despite how much he denies it."

"Eva-chan is human, she has the one thing we don't have, a heart and she practically shares her love for us. She respects us out of love than fear. The few that she actually _does_ fear, she keeps her distance and will cling to those she does care for."

"But Aizen-sama has taken a real shine to her though."

"She treats him as a father, and I think he feels like one. She knows what he's capable of, that he merely took her in as a weapon, but she didn't care. He feared her because of what she is, but accepted her and learned he has nothing to fear because of her unbreakable loyalty."

"Heard she got knocked out when you got the Hōgyoku implanted and he just about lost it, scared she was seriously hurt."

The brunette's eyes widened in surprise hearing that, that he was the source of everyone collapsing that day.

But his shock didn't stop there, listening as the two talked, letting him listen than ignoring him while speaking.

He learned far more from them than he would have thought, learning more about what they are as Arrancar, their ranking system, even among normal Hollows.

They both clearly despised Darkness, feeling safe to talk about their feelings with him, knowing he felt the same without ever meeting her.

He found that because of what Eva is exactly, how strong she is compared to normal diclonii, Darkness couldn't do anything really.

She could discipline them still, namely Aizen, but would have to do it at one of her hideouts instead. She had to do it away from Eva so she couldn't try defending him with her powerful vectors.

The demon was callous enough to allow the child to kill a few weak grunts that would bring home a now battered and bleeding man than risking her stronger soldiers.

It also meant that the demon couldn't kill Aizen without invoking the child's wrath, having her take vengeance.

Because of how Eva seemed to love so many, she would constantly follow one of them around almost all day, rarely distracted to follow another or sent on a job.

Some she saw as siblings, such as Lilynette and another childlike Arrancar known as Wonderweiss, the three constantly playing games when not busy.

Others she saw as teachers and superiors, hence certain titles used, though a few she saw more as older siblings than instructors.

The ones she didn't like, as they mentioned, she does her best to keep clear of them, rarely sent to them less it was important.

Without feeling a thing, knew his eyes widened when they talked about their tattoos, Starrk revealing he was both the strongest and second strongest in the army.

The other was someone named Yammy, but it depended on how much he eats and sleeps, his rank bounces between zero and ten.

They mentioned that while it isn't official, many of the lower ranked Arrancar began calling Eva, Espada Medio, the number sewn into her dress than tattooed.

He didn't think one little girl could cause such a huge change with these people, learning so much from these two.

The biggest thing to learn was that they despised rape, even before Eva appeared, making the brunette start crying as he recalled the molestations.

Sensing something off, he shooed Lilynette out of the room, telling her to take the trash for disposal and wait outside.

She reluctantly obeyed, seeing that look in his eyes, how the other reacted, unnerving her slightly as she left.

"Someone touched you?" Starrk asked, "Blink once for yes, two for no."

A single blink confirmed his suspicions, making his hands clench tightly as he breathed through his nose.

"Was it here? In this room?"

Another blink confirmed followed by more tears, the other unconsciously releasing a violent flare of reiatsu, the captive not affected at all.

After some work, the other got answers, the brunette promising him that no one would ever touch him again. He promised him that he would find out who hurt him, report to Aizen and have them severely punished.

Heinz couldn't believe that despite the hell he's gone through, that all hope for escape is gone; he somehow managed to find some sort of light here.

Starrk and Lilynette have become like a family to him, a family he never got to truly have aside his daughter.

It made him cry harder, his emotions taking control, but no flares of reiatsu exploded from him as the other stayed to give him company a little longer. He stayed until he was asleep, regretfully chaining him back up.

Starrk wasn't sure why they did this, it wasn't like he could escape, but knew it was an order given by Anax. That meant there was a chance he _could_ regain feeling and attempt an escape, or she simply wanted to humiliate the poor human further.

With a sigh, he gathered anything left behind and left, giving one last farewell towards the other before shutting the door.

* * *

**_Please read and review_**


	20. Chapter 20

Heinz was jolted awake by a noise, a very loud noise, silence filling the room as his eyes darted around.

He knew that he slept the whole night, possibly a couple of nights, his internal clock just starting to return.

It happens sometimes, the two unable to tend to him due other duties taking their time, but the fact no one came to get him cleaned up, something was wrong.

It was then the noise returned, realizing fighting was going on by the explosions and deafening sounds from Ceros fired.

He could hear the faint sounds of people shouting; a mix between orders sent out and spells being chanted before more explosions took over.

Another explosion was heard, this time the door being broken down, ripped from its hinges, light pouring into the depressing room.

When the dust cleared, two figures stood there, small forms dashing about what looked like a female frame.

"This has to be the man Ichimaru-san told us about," a young woman's voice panted as the two made their way over.

When she got close enough, he took in her appearance, finding she was well endowed, appearing close to his daughter's age, maybe a little older.

She had long orange hair, though covered in some dust as were her clothes, giving her the look of a normal teenager.

But the most striking feature she had were the grey eyes watching him, filled with warmth than coldness.

"Appears so, do you feel the power coming off of him?" another voice questioned as he revealed himself.

"Yeah, just as Ichimaru-san told us," the girl spoke sadly.

Before the brunette knew it, he watched as she used some inhumane strength to rip the chains and shackles, freeing him from his place.

As he began to tumble, the two caught him, allowing him to take in the other's appearance now that he was closer.

He saw that it was one of the Arrancar, only completely different than the one's he's seen, namely what he wore.

While he couldn't technically feel anything, he did sense, maybe feel that this young man was powerful. He wondered if by chance _this_ was the former Espada, the fourth strongest he's heard about.

Blue eyes widened in a mixture of curiosity and fear when the buzzing forms made themselves visible, revealing to be fairy like creatures.

Some had flown by the entrance to the door, one buzzing back and forth, sending reports, revealing to be a male by the voice and manner of dress.

"Looks like they cleared out a path for us," the male fairy reported, landing on the girl's shoulder as the others came back. "We should get going before any more show up."

"Arigatō, Tsubaki, everyone," she thanked with a smile as the fairies turned into energy, becoming hairclips.

"Want me to carry him?" the pale skinned man offered, face showing some concern and worry.

"No, I need you ready to fight if we do get ambushed. I'll carry him," she stated sternly. Seeing his concerned look, she reached a hand out patting his shoulder, "don't worry yourself, Ulquiorra."

"Alright, Neesan," he replied as he readied his sword, the girl hoisting the limp man onto her back with some help. "We'll get you out of here, we won't let Darkness use you like this. Okāsan will protect you, help you even, I assure you that. But until we get to her, _we'll_ protect you."

Despite hearing the Japanese, he knew what those words meant, shocked that these two shared a mother. They looked nothing alike, wondering if one of them had been adopted or something else happened.

He watched in awe, occasionally closing his eyes when dust tried hitting his face, hearing fighting going on all around them, passed the walls.

He could hear, feel the reiatsu exploding all around them, the only thing he _could_ feel, knowing blood is being shed from both sides.

Part of him thought it was a dream, but the coppery smell infiltrating his senses, he knew that it was real.

A wall burst open, two figures having crashed through, revealing to be Nnoitra fighting with a young woman before going through the other wall.

She had her feet digging into his sides, likely crushing some of his ribs by how deep they dug, her gold breast plate covered in blood, unsure if it was hers or the others.

Glittering chains danced around them, claw or talons attached to one end having wrapped around the other's weapon, disabling him from using it.

Her face was buried into his shoulder, teeth sinking in as blood flowed, covering just about her whole head, mixing with her red hair.

"Raptor!" Ulquiorra cried out, clearly showing recognition for that strange woman when they disappeared into the other wall.

"She'll be fine, she can hold her own!" the orange haired girl shouted, snapping him out of his shock.

They darted through debris of bodies and chunks of stone that had fallen due to all of the fighting going on.

He wondered if Starrk and Lilynette would stop them or decide to take advantage to leave and join their escape.

He was pulled from his thoughts as they ran outside of the building, running into what looked like a courtyard.

All around them people fought viciously, a mix between Arrancar and possibly human, identifiable more by their outfits.

If they dressed in that white uniform, then they were Aizen's men, if they were in another outfit, they had to be the other team.

"Ulquiorra!" the girl shouted suddenly, grabbing the man's attention. "Open the Dimensional Tear now!"

He nodded, holding his hand before him as if he were holding something, his black nails extending, growing claw like. As they grew, a dark energy formed around them, going down the fingers, wrapping around the whole hand in black flames.

Wordlessly, he tore into the air, the sounds of fabric being ripped echoing, a hole forming with black smoke pouring out.

Heinz couldn't believe what he saw, that this strange man literally tore a hole in the fabric of time and space.

He watched as the hole grew larger and larger until a full adult could enter, stopping as if on some unknown command.

"I'll get the others inside," Ulquiorra stated suddenly, already running off before she could object.

"Be careful, Otōto," she whispered with concern before turning to the others fighting around them. "Rukia! Chad! Guys, we're retreating now, we've got him!"

Whoever they were, he heard what sounded like more fabric ripping, meaning more than one knew this unique ability, readying their escape.

In an instant, the walls of Los Noches, the world of Hueco Mundo disappeared, the brunette's eyes filled with blinding, colorful lights flashing by.

It was dizzying to see, unsure if he would get sick and not realize it, or because he can't feel anything, he's avoiding getting sick.

He glanced at the girl carrying him still, easily flying through this strange passage her brother made, appearing used to the action.

At some point, she twisted herself a bit, bringing him off her back, practically cradling his upper body in her arms, confusing the other a little.

He wished he could feel, not because of his attraction towards her, she was clearly too young for his tastes. It would've felt like he was dating his daughter and that simply didn't feel right.

No, he wanted to feel because he knew it had to be soothing being held like this, seeing her gentle gaze never leaving his broke form.

It reminded him of a mother's love, the way his mother held Roger, or how his ocelot mother would wrap herself around him when he was scared.

"You won't have to worry anymore now, you're safe," she responded, a warm smile on her face, seeming to relax. "Once we get you to Okāsan, she'll fix you up. She'll undo all those horrible surgeries with her magic and Digi-san's alchemy. I don't know if we can get the Hōgyoku out of your body, but we'll think of something. You deserve to be happy, not sad and miserable."

_"__So her mother _is_ a kind woman,"_ Heinz thought, relief filling him.

"And once you're fixed up and we're sure you're all better, we'll try to find your family. Ichimaru-san told us all about you and we were in that world, well Okāsan was along with a bunch others. My siblings and I at the time hadn't regained our memories until just recently," she explained happily, though gave a nervous laugh at the last part.

She gave him a comforting look; as if reading what he must be wondering how they knew about his world aside from that man, Gin.

"You see, Okāsan had someone infiltrate and find out about those bombs, so plans to try evacuating the world were put into motion."

_"__So Vanessa could be alive? My whole family? Perry the Platypus might even be alive?"_ the other wondered, his hope beginning to increase.

"I know you must've been so scared, I know how you felt, that hopelessness trying to consume you," she whispered as memories resurfaced before pushing them away. "But like I said, you don't have to worry about that anymore. You have friends to help you now and you'll make a lot more, I promise you that."

_"__Had she been held against her will there too?"_ he wondered briefly before she started prattling on.

He couldn't be sure if she was making small talk or had that gift Starrk seemed to have with reading him.

Either way, it was nice than the silence, the rush of wind flying past them in incredible speeds.

"If I remember, you're a scientist, I know a few siblings who tinker with that as well as some friends. I'm sure that you'll be best friends with them, that is, if you feel comfortable around other people."

_"__I don't think I could ever make an inator again after all this,"_ he silently replied, his gaze averting from pretty face.

"Gomen'nasai," she apologized suddenly, eyes watering slightly. "If we had known where you were sooner, we _would_ have come to save you so much sooner. I don't blame you if you hate us."

_"__I don't hate you though…"_

He looked up at her face, hoping she could see his answer, to know he didn't hate her or her family, her mother most of all.

He wanted her to know that she gave him what he lost, that they _all_ gave him back what he lost, hope.

He gave it all up the second he entered that lab and went under the knife, was losing all physical feeling.

He had believed he would never see his daughter again, or any of his family members ever again. Believed he lost his nemesis, his best friend, never getting to see that suave, semi-aquatic personification of unstoppable, dynamic fury ever again.

Once their eyes connected, seeing her somehow reading his emotions, she gave him a relieved smile, hugging him closer, allowing his face to bury into her shoulder.

It made him want to feel again, knowing that it had to feel nice, recalling the memory, using it as a substitute.

He couldn't remember the last time someone hugged him like this, no, the last time was from his daughter.

It wasn't anything overly special to most, but it meant the world to him to know his child cared so much.

Then there was a time Perry had hugged him, he had another failed date, probably one of his worsts, leaving him in shambles.

The platypus stayed with him just about the entire night to comfort him than leaving, his mission completed with watching the scientist.

They were probably going to be one of his happiest memories, at least until he sees them again, getting to hold them and cry into them.

He could somehow see it now, finally able to walk, able to feel, seeing his daughter, unable to see her any older than she might be.

He sees her running up to him, hugging him, sobbing into him, relieved that he's okay, that he's alive. And he would cry loudly into her as well, feeling the same, knowing this nightmare is finally over, that he's back with his baby girl.

He even pictured Perry showing up, his stoic demeanor gone, his emotions overwhelming him as he too runs into his arms. They fought as they should, but they were still friends, even if they were to deny it if anyone tried stating it.

He knew the platypus must've had a family and if they were gone, if the agency is gone, he'd offer to take him in.

He knew he could never return to being evil, not after all this, he would simply retire and stay with the people who matter to him most.

His thoughts were broken, his little fantasy shattered when the smell of blood filled his senses, sending warning bells through him.

He opened his eyes, having not realized he nearly fell asleep in her arms, staring in horror as blood trickled out of her mouth.

Without meaning too, she had let go of him, her fingers slipping away from his vision as he fell away.

He saw glowing arrows piercing her back, wondering where they came from, seeing no enemy behind them.

_"__No!"_ he screamed in his head.

He desperately watched as she struggled to maintain her life, unable to summon her fairies or couldn't summon them.

He tried to scream, forgetting his stolen voice, eyes glazing with tears, unable to force his arms to reach out and grab for her.

He wanted to help her, save her, but he couldn't do a damn thing!

All he could do was watch as he fell further away from her limp body, her watching in horror at his supposed destination.

She tried to move, but pain seemed to consume her, unable to wrench the arrows from her back, letting out an animalistic scream.

It sounded like a wounded animal, an animal that's lost everything around them, watching the last important thing being taken.

He couldn't believe this was happening to him again…

Just as he began to hope, it gets ripped away!

He wanted, knew he should hate girl for giving him hope so soon, but found he couldn't hate her even if he wanted too.

She didn't mean for this to happen, she was honest in her words, having believed in them as much as he had.

The lights around him flashed brighter and brighter, a shrieking sound echoing as he the lights turned white.

If he was able to feel, he would've cried out in pain as an electrical current ran through him briefly, being tossed into a different flow in the vortex.

At some point, feeling like an eternity floating, falling, or all at the same time, white light exploded into his vision.

When the spots disappeared, he saw a town around him, unsure where he was, seeing signs that it was spring.

Before he knew, he fell from the sky, splashing heard as he hit the water, the murky waters invading his vision.

He swore, just before going underwater, the people on the bridge, one of them had familiar teal hair.

* * *

**_Just as with this having part with_** Eva's Story_**, there is another known as **_My Heart is in My Dreams_** that explains the whole Caterian thing a little.**_

_**It can also be learned more through other fics here and on Deviantart.**_

_**Please read and review**_


	21. Chapter 21

"So what are we going to do next?" Phineas asked happily, beginning to cheer up after all that had happened.

He looked up at Perry, the pair carrying several bags of groceries in each of their hands, their shopping fruitful.

Accompanying them was Ferb and Isabella, the pair also carrying groceries as well, though not as much as the former platypus.

"Once we drop these off back home, I was going to head out and try to find this place that teaches cooking. Can't rely on Seri to do all the cooking forever," the teal haired man answered with a smile.

"That's so cool! Remember when Ferb and I made Chez Platypus?"

"Yeah, I remember, it was really ingenious that you and Ferb pulled it off so well, and without your parents finding out."

"We didn't care if Mom and Dad found out what we did. I'm sure they would've been proud of us having so much fun," the redhead chirped happily.

He was almost skipping at the thought of his parents getting to see their past exploits, barely containing his bursting energy.

"Maybe, then again, some of the stunts you pulled were enough to cause heart failure, like that crazy rollercoaster. What were you two thinking?"

"How to make summer great?"

"Why does that not surprise me?"

Just as he said that, the other two broke out laughing, or more the young girl was in a fit of giggles, the other trying to hold back his laughter.

Just as the foursome were starting to cross the bridge leading back home, Phineas stopped, staring into the water.

"What the hell?" Perry muttered softly as he stared as did the others.

"Could it be some sort of fish?" Isabella asked, feeling the hairs on the back of her neck standing on end.

"None that are indigenous here," Ferb spoke up, adding a strange chill.

The water below them swirled, as if caught in a small storm of its own, forming into a whirlpool, as if something was pushing it down.

"Stand back!" Perry shouted as the water suddenly stopped without warning, the liquid crashing into itself violently before stilling.

It wasn't that, that made the agent react, pushing the kids behind him, backing from the side, it was the light forming several feet in the air.

Immediately the water went back to its previous actions, clearly caught in what whatever was pulling it.

"I'm scared…" Phineas whimpered, hugging onto Ferb and Isabella as they did the same.

"What on earth is going on?" Perry growled softly, red eyes narrowed to try and see through the blinding light.

He could hear people nearby, having seen what was happening, some alarmed by how they began to back away. Others who didn't were either in awe of the show or too afraid to move.

The light died down, replaced by a black vortex, the air around it ripping open wider and wider. Sounds of thunder crashing could be heard, making the former platypus' knees grow weak with fear.

He was about to yell at the kids to run, ready to grab them up and run like hell back home, ready to lock the house down if this was some sort of invasion.

His mind raced, terrified of what could be happening, recalling a similar experience when he went through that transporter.

Did they find him?

Are they going to take him back?

Would they threaten, no would they butcher his family to take him back?

What would they do if they discovered the diclonii?

Would they be used if successfully captured?

As the questions bombarded his head, they all froze; practically feeling like it was a highway pile up as he stared into the vortex, what fell from it.

It was almost like time froze, Perry staring at the white form that fell into the waters below them. He saw the blue eyes, recognizing them anywhere, ignoring the shouts and screams as the vortex vanished without warning.

Before he could stop himself, he dropped the bags, climbing onto the railing, leaping into the freezing water.

He didn't care how his body stung from making contact, hearing Phineas and the others scream at him.

All he could focus on was the man who had fallen into these waters, desperate to save him, instincts as an agent kicking in.

He swam, kicking and pushing through the water, thankful that the river wasn't tremendously deep.

Spotting the sinking form, he swam harder, grabbing the white sleeve, pulling him against his chest just before either hit the bottom.

Having the limp body in his arms, he focused on getting to the surface, dragging themselves upwards, aiming for the shore.

The former platypus could feel his lungs tightening, beginning to burn for oxygen, forcing him to kick harder.

He couldn't believe what he saw, unsure what to think.

He was positive that it wasn't a dream or some hallucination.

It was real, all of it. He had him in his arms right now; he didn't care how different he looked…

He had him back…

Reaching the surface, gasping for air, Perry swam to the shore, using all his strength to keep the other's head above the water.

He feared the worse by the lack of response, seeing those glazed eyes, watching as they were pulled out of the water by other people.

He couldn't stop watching as he ignored the shouting going on, the sounds of sirens going off.

All he could do was dumbly watch as people checked for a pulse on the still brunette, holding his breath as he waited for any news. He finally released it in relief when hearing there was a pulse.

He could see the chest rising and falling, but worried why he didn't react to the cold water in the first place. He didn't even react when the ambulance arrived, as the paramedics practically threw him onto a gurney to take him away.

Perry barely registered the police arriving, taking statements from people, finding the kids, taking them home as they took him to the hospital as well.

The entire time, he felt helpless, wanting to do something for the other, but couldn't, only stare at him during the ambulance ride.

He had so many questions to ask him, numbly answering a couple questions doctors gave him; police gave him when they showed up.

"Heinz…" he whimpered softly, tears forcing themselves to his eyes.

All this time, having been torn between finding the man and Peter, or staying with his family. Even if he did choose to go search for them and other possible survivors, where could he even look?

He wasn't even sure if others fell into this world as his family had done as well as himself or were in another. Therefore, he was forced to constantly search for anything that might relate to the Shadow Queen and her Alchemy Knight.

Every day he prayed that he would find something on them, something to connect them to either.

Perry was barely aware when he was finally released; having been given dried clothes, family members having brought them.

"Excuse me, could I see him? The man I pulled from the river I mean," he asked almost timidly, the doctor giving him a confused look before allowing it.

When shown the room, seeing him lying in that bed, dressed in proper clothing the hospital provided, he almost broke.

The man was a complete mess, worse than he could ever have imagined, fearing what could've led to this.

He had deep bags under his eyes, tanned skin a sickly pale color, knowing it couldn't have been illness that did it.

The once short messy hair now went past his shoulders, having been fixed up likely by a nurse or doctor when they were taking care of him.

He looked so thin, his body almost melting into the bedding, scared to know how he really looked.

But it was the eyes that nearly did him in, while they were closed now, he could remember how they looked.

Those vibrant blue eyes that were filled with so much fire and determination to beat his nemesis and rule the Tri-State Area, it was gone.

It practically destroyed the agent, realizing that the man lying before him might be lost forever, unsure if he could ever be retrieved.

Just as he was about to walk over, to touch him, hoping to grab his attention, the door opened behind him, arms wrapping around his waist.

He knew without a doubt that it was Phineas, confirming when he glance down, seeing his face buried into his side, tears soaking through his shirt.

"What were you thinking jumping into the river like that?" Seri half shouted as she walked inside.

"I'm…I'm sorry but this man, I know him. He's…he's a friend of mine. I couldn't let him drown," Perry answered, a few tears trickling down his face.

"Wait, a friend of yours?" she asked, eyes widening as she looked at the limp figure lying in bed. "I'm so sorry Perry. I didn't know. I just heard from Phineas and the others that you dove into the water off the bridge and I panicked."

Before she could say anything else, a doctor walked in, holding a clipboard, a visible frown on his face.

Taking note of the people in the room, he raised a brow, "Do you know who this gentleman is?"

"Yes," the teal haired man nearly cried out. "His name is Heinz Doofenshmirtz. Is he okay? He hasn't moved or spoken at all…"

"We don't know just yet, from what we can see, it appears that his entire nervous system has been disabled. We would've thought it was a birth defect until we saw some scarring around his throat and did further examination. At key points throughout his entire body are surgical scars. They're faded, just about invisible, easy to miss to the untrained eye."

"What did you say?" Seri gasped, placing a hand on Perry's arm as he swayed a little, looking ill.

"I'm saying is that somehow, someone severed his nervous system. He can't feel anything, nor can he talk. Strange thing is he still has mobility, capable of blinking when lights are flashed in his eyes for example. We've even seen some twitching as normal with any reflex. Whoever did this is a psychotic genius…" the doctor explained, sounding disgusted as he is amazed by what was done to the broken man.

"Is there any way to reverse this?" Perry asked, practically begged as he stared at the bedridden male, tears flowing from his eyes more freely.

"We don't even know how it was done so thoroughly, the years it could've taken to accomplish this. If we tried, we would be risking his life unnecessarily, it would be inhumane to make such an attempt."

"Then what _can_ be done?" he asked as he walked over to the brunette, feeling the other two letting go.

When reaching the bed, he placed his hand over the other's squeezing it, wishing what he was hearing wasn't true.

"I'm afraid there isn't much that can be done," the doctor answered sadly, patting the teal haired man on the shoulder. "We could have him stay here and looked after. Does he have _any_ family we could contact?"

"No…I'm afraid I don't know where they are. I don't even know how to contact them," Perry half lied, gritting his teeth as he tried not scream. "Oh god Heinz, what on earth _happened_ to you?"

"Could he stay with us? I've taken nursing and aside myself, he and two others have jobs to pay for all he'll need," Seri suggested nervously.

She could see how distraught the other was; breaking her heart at the sight, seeing her dear friend obviously cared for this man.

She couldn't live with herself if they took him away, taking him to some unknown hospital, never to see him again.

"Are you positive?" he asked, having been shown the license by the woman, giving her a skeptical look at her given appearance. "Even if I _did_ allow it, you're in no condition to take care of this man."

"I can teach Perry what I know until I've given birth," she replied with a determined look. "We have the money to pay for his expenses and he may be able to respond better if he's with someone he knows than strangers. Whether he's lost feeling or not because some monsters did it, he's surely gone through immense trauma. If he has _any_ hopes to recover, it would be better for his mental health to be around people he knows and loves."

"I understand…" the doctor tried arguing before glancing at the kids in the room, giving a heavy sigh. "Let's talk about this at my office, alright?"

"Fine," she sighed as she followed him out.

The entire time everyone was talking, Heinz feigned sleep, listening to every word said regarding him.

When hearing that someone knew him, a man who called himself Perry…no, it couldn't be him.

It was impossible, just impossible…

Even if he _was_ alive, he's a platypus, not a man, so it can't be him.

But if it isn't him, then who is he? How does he know who he is?

At some point he heard the woman returning, announcing that she was able to get him to come live with them at home.

"That's great news!" a boy's voice cried out happily.

"But he has to stay here a few days. They want to run some tests to see where exactly his health is at before they release him into our care."

"I guess that makes sense," another boy spoke softly.

"It'll also give us time to set up a room for him," the woman explained, sounding relieved of her accomplishment.

"Thank god," he heard the man he believed to be Perry sigh with relief.

After an unknown amount of time passed, the brunette could hear the woman speaking again, "We should get back home, it's getting late."

He could hear some shuffling, the sounds further, the one next to him making no noises to indicate he was moving.

"Perry, why don't you stay here a little longer? I'll take the kids back, okay?"

"Thanks," the other responded, hearing him get up briefly before returning to his spot, likely hugging her or some of the others.

When he was finally alone, he pulled a chair up, taking a seat next to the bed, reclaiming the hand once more.

It didn't matter the other couldn't feel anything; he got some strange comfort holding the appendage. It reminded him of the times he'd hold the other's hand when he was down and needed emotional support more than getting his ass handed to him.

Now, it felt like he needed it more than ever, feeling tears forming in his eyes once more, not resisting as they trickled down his face.

Why couldn't he stop crying so much?

He was never emotionless, but he was never _this_ emotional before, so why?

No, he knew why, while he's got people he felt were most important in his life, there are still dozens others who don't have that.

His family is still without parents, unsure if they're alive, Jeremy and the other kids' families' status are unknown. Heinz may be here, but his condition isn't what he expected to see, nor does he know what to tell him about _his_ family's status.

Then there's Peter, he has no clue if and when he'll ever find him, if he's alive or dead, how much he's suffering or he's gone numb as Dennis nearly had.

All those horrible thoughts surfaced, making the tears flow faster, dropping down his face, his nose beginning to run.

Will he ever find the Shadow Queen?

Does she even exist?

Was it all a lie from the very beginning to break him, to break the other prisoners?

"G-god…" he half sobbed, sounding choked as his breath hitched.

He heard the sobbing grow louder despite how hard the other tried controlling himself, hearing a small thud as he collapsed into his chest, muffling his crying.

"I'm so sorry I couldn't help you sooner, if I knew where you were, I would've come save you, I would have. Maybe…maybe then you wouldn't be like this."

Most of his words were difficult to hear between his sobs and having his face still buried in the cheap blankets, but the other caught every word.

Funny thing about not feeling a thing, you find yourself more aware of your surroundings to make up for it.

Perry turned his head, facing the supposed sleeping face, not caring how much of a mess he looked.

"I know you may not recognize me, but no matter what, I'm going to everything in my power to take care of you. I don't care about the past anymore, I just don't want to lose anyone else."

Closing his eyes, he sniffled, not wanting to take his eyes off the other, but felt himself growing tired.

How long has he been here?

He knew before he started talking, he must've been staring at the sleeping man for hours, knowing visiting hours would be over soon.

The thought alone brought more tears, squeezing the bloodshot eyes shut, gritting his teeth as he tried to control himself.

"Please forgive me, Heinz, please," he sobbed softly, afraid if he spoke any louder, his nemesis, his friend may disappear. "I'm begging you, please forgive me."

The brunette's eyes opened, blue eyes staring mystified at the mop of teal hair with black peppering the locks.

It couldn't be him, but it was, he just knew it without having to ask complicated questions. The emotion he was displaying, it was all real, the kind of emotion he saw the platypus show only through his eyes, trying to put up a strong front.

_"__Perry…"_ he whispered in his thoughts, staring in awe at what he saw.

He remembered during the agonizing surgeries about humanization projects going on, that they were using lab animals.

Perry the Platypus was among those, it explained why he looked like this, why he was so much more expressive. He looked so young, unsure if his aging had been altered somehow or if this is how he looks based on platypus years.

The scientist could only imagine the stress he must've put himself through, protecting himself, protecting whoever those people are that were here before.

Were they his family or people he met?

If he met them, where? Here, wherever they are, or wherever he came from?

Pushing the thoughts behind his head, focusing on the distressed man crying away still, he could tell that whatever he went through, it's left him vulnerable.

He could see signs of insomnia looking at that tear streaked face, signs that nightmares kept him awake than late hours working.

Seeing the once platypus looking so broken, looking completely lost, not able to put up a strong front as he's known for, it tore the brunette up.

He couldn't bear to see him like this, wanting to find a reason to stop those tears from falling, to stop his sorrow.

Perry felt something land on his head, gently rubbing his head, the hand running through his soft hair.

Opening his eyes, he stared in shock, wondering how the other could move without feeling a thing.

The brunette on the other hand found himself lost in the other's face, surprised how gorgeous his nemesis looked as a human.

As if instincts pushed him, having done so once to pet what he could guess is soft hair, now went to the side of the face.

With tender movements, a thumb began wiping the tears away, giving him a comforting look, not sure if he was smiling or not.

Perry felt the hand, doing everything in his power not to flinch in shock, not even to nuzzle into that warm hand.

Eventually his old animal instincts kicked in, leaning into the hand, a small purring noise escaping him.

His eyes fluttered closed briefly, a relieved smile on his face, seeing the other giving him a small smile in return.

While the eyes were still dull, he could see the faintest of the man's spirit beginning to burn again. The embers never died, they were merely hidden amongst the ash and now they're reigniting.

It was those same eyes that told him he had been forgiven, that he had never been blamed, pulling a huge weight off his chest.

"I promise you, I won't _ever_ let anyone take you away from me," Perry vowed, eyes shining with tears, determination shining brighter. "I'm going to protect you as I am with my family."

Hearing of family brought a wave of tears to the brunette's eyes, recalling his daughter, the other picking it up.

"I'm sorry, I'm…I'm sure that Vanessa's alright. She's strong like you are. I'm sure that she's somewhere safe."

Not sure if he was telling the truth, no more, he wasn't sure if Perry knew the truth about their world.

Yet somehow, he felt truth in those words, knowing that if he and his family survived, then others must have as well.

His daughter may have very well survived the destruction, that she's out there somewhere angry and scared, but safe no less.

It was all he could bring himself to hope for now.

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	22. Chapter 22

Sometime after finding his nemesis, his friend, Perry immediately, as much as he didn't like it, took extra shifts at work.

He even took a second job when he couldn't do more, trying to make ends meet, exhaustion threatening to do him in.

He needed to make the extra money to help support not only Heinz's medical care, but Seri's soon to be daughter.

By now, she was about eight months pregnant, knowing she's due very soon, maybe sooner for all he knew.

The teal haired agent knew about her rather large inheritance, she and Dennis having mentioned it a few times. Even if she hadn't, fact she helped easily pay for everyone staying here and keeping up with the mortgage showed.

Yet he knew it wouldn't last forever as much as they would all like it.

He had to make it up to her than let her waste any more of her money.

Times he was able to be home, not dead tired and could enjoy the few breaks he got; he spent it with everyone he cared for. More importantly, he would watch the woman in amusement, namely her shadow tailing her just about everywhere.

While Phineas hadn't taken _"The Talk"_ as well as he should have, he was in absolute awe over how much Seri's stomach grew.

Then again, the redhead never really got to really see a pregnant person back home, not even seeing a pregnant animal.

Perry remembered that his parents never really discussed about having more kids, either content with the ones they had, or had plans, but for a later date.

Seeing how fascinated Phineas looked, seeing his innocent curiosity returning, it was simply amazing, adorable even to watch.

While her stomach grew to a rather impressive size, Seri still managed to keep herself rather active and mobile than sitting around doing nothing.

She took walks, careful where she went to avoid getting caught by vigilantes running loose. She still helped take care of the house, washing dishes that couldn't fit in the dish washer due to a large meal made, or carrying a load of laundry in need of cleaning or folding.

She even showed Perry as well as the teenagers how to take care of Heinz when she couldn't, or really she shouldn't.

She showed them what to do between feeding, helping the arms and legs move to keep the muscles strong. She even showed how to turn him if he got sick or to simply avoid sores forming.

At least with the guys, she showed how a bath should be given, her medical knowledge shining brightly.

But because of the insane amount of hours Perry has been working, she had a second bathroom installed into a spare room. She designed it so the tub was large enough for two people to fit inside.

It left plenty of room for the brunette to stretch his limbs without being cramped, but also trusted Perry not to harm him if he decided to bathe with him.

It wasn't exactly something that _should_ be done, but she had this gut feeling that nothing bad would happen if he were to do so.

Dennis absolutely loved him, the two having bonded like brothers, having never seen him light up so much since their wedding.

She partly wondered if maybe the two had a previous history together, his memory returning or parts of it.

Whether it was true or not, it didn't matter, fact her late husband adored him, she would, no she does adore him, thus trusts him.

Aside all that, her reason for the large tub than her trust was for Perry's sake, knowing the hours he works exhaust him. She wanted to let him take the moment that when he's cleaning up the brunette, he could clean himself up as well.

Therefore, when it was completed, she showed them the room, having the brunette transferred to his new accommodations.

Afterwards, things began to fall into a strange, but peaceful pattern, the difficulties they had been facing starting to fade away.

The kids were starting to ignore the bullies that harassed them, fighting back better without raising a fist nor getting pounded in return.

The teenagers got promoted at their part time jobs, even offered full time once they graduate high school, possibly sooner.

Perry, despite working so hard, adjusted rather well, taking some free time at one point to help cut Heinz's long hair, making it look the way it used to.

It started to look good for everyone, at least that's how it looked until the woman felt the first contraction near the middle of her ninth month.

Candace drove her to the hospital, Jeremy and the kids staying home to wait for the news. The blonde was left in charge of Heinz, calling Perry about the woman's contractions starting, knowing he may be needed.

Second the agent got the call, having told his boss ahead of time that he may need to take maternity leave to see to a dear friend.

Perry was so grateful for having such an understanding boss when granted it, letting him run out.

Since moving in with Seri, she had given him one of the two cars she and Dennis owned so he wouldn't have to rely completely on bus and taxies.

Thank god for that as he drove to the almost hidden clinic, knowing the girls were there, hoping he isn't too late.

When he arrived, he learned they were still setting up, Seri still dilating before she could start pushing the baby out.

So he was tossed into proper gear and went in to check on her, finding Candace by her side to aid her.

The doctors that bustled about were all part of the same organization Seri was part of, so chances of any of them harming the child were zero. They were here to help deliver the baby and make sure both go home together, working tirelessly when hours passed and she was finally ready.

After hours of agonizing contractions and pushing, the baby finally came, yet not a single cry was let out.

The woman was half dazed, pain clouding her mind, barely registering the lack of noise safe for doctors trying to resuscitate the infant. The other two though knew what happened, gripping the woman's sweaty palms, tears coursing down their faces.

When news got back to everyone, they were devastated, some more than others as they waited for news regarding the funeral.

They gathered together, Heinz even joining to pay his condolences, having been dressed in a decent suit, placed into a wheelchair that was pushed by the agent.

They saw that the grave had been set next to Dennis' a few trinkets and such set around, mostly a few toys that would've been given.

Reading the stone, the name read as Sakeenah Calypso Durani, the others asking her what it was about.

Seri explained with a sad smile that the name had been specially chosen, meaning calm and tranquil.

The middle name had been something she and Dennis both lightly joked about in the past. They got the idea from a song of the same name, it in turn being named after a ship belonging to a nature documentary crew.

Everyone thought it was beautiful, liking the meaning and love behind it, the thought put into choosing.

While Seri mourned her daughter as much as she did over husband, she held together far better than most would've thought.

She had a reason to keep going, namely a promise she and her late husband made to each other, that no matter what happened, they would move on one way or another.

They didn't want to risk the other mourning forever, unable to be happy for themselves or others around them.

But it wasn't just their promise to each other that kept her going, but her friendship with Perry and his family. They needed her as much as she needed them, some more than others, particularly a certain teal haired man.

While he tried to hide it, he still had nightmares, the very same kind her husband woke from, shaking and crying for hours.

Sometimes they got so bad the teal haired man would throw up, forced to take a sick day or two until he's calmed down.

She knew Perry hadn't been assaulted, he didn't show the signs Dennis did, but the trauma was very much the same. That's what made her believe the two might've known each other from the other's unknown past. But she wasn't going to push it, she didn't want to alarm him, accidentally chase him away.

Instead, she would wait until the time was right to speak with him, hoping he'll come to her than bottling it up so much.

By then, two months had passed, everyone starting to recover, especially with summer having returned, meaning no more hassling school. The kids were in much happier moods, practically bouncing with joy around the large home over being sprung.

Heinz however was still the same, barely responding, managing to get a few reactions and partially communicate with his eyes. But all in all, it wasn't enough to show any real progress the few times he'd be taken to a doctor for examinations.

It was also then that Seri convinced Perry to reduce his hours, wanting him to spend more time with his siblings, with the brunette.

Their money has since stabilized, having all the most important chores regarding the man taken care of.

Now it was merely routine work when it came to the bedridden man.

With much convincing, Perry finally got his hours back to what they used to be, leaving him with far more free time than he remembered. He even left the other job he took, having no need to stay and clutter his hours. And with that free time now given, he spent it between being with his family and tending to his former nemesis' needs.

Going against everything he learned, he hesitantly introduced Phineas and the others minus Seri, to the brunette.

When she was out of the house to do some shopping and deliver some things to members of the group, he explained who the man was exactly.

They were shocked that this was the same man Perry fought, but recalled how the stories shared, the man not always acting as evil as he claimed.

They treated him with respect, sharing their own stories, a few being rather embarrassing for the once platypus when regarding his days as a pup.

While Heinz couldn't laugh, sound wise, the gesture was enough to make them smile, knowing he was coming back more and more.

The brunette couldn't believe what was happening, his nemesis, not only in a human form, but showing his family so freely. He would've thought he'd keep them separated, one of them sneaking in to check on him, revealing it all.

If things had been different, he might've taken advantage of it to do the other harm, but now he couldn't even think of committing _any_ sort of crime.

When the two were alone, Perry let any walls he built to stay strong in front of everyone fall down.

He told him how he came to look like this, that he knew the other was held captive, but didn't know _where_ he was.

Yet he never stopped searching for a way to save him and he still won't stop searching for Peter and anyone who could've survived.

Heinz knew the former platypus kept things from him, namely how dramatic he made his escape sound. It sounded fake, having known the other far too well for far too long without ever having him speak. Not counting the fact that at the time, the agent _couldn't_ speak, at least in human terms anyway.

But he had no way to call him out, and something inside him told him Perry did it for his own sake as much as his.

Just like Seri, he's heard the other crying and screaming at night because of horrible nightmares, only he knew why he suffered so much.

At some point, the former platypus surprised the brunette when he told him that he was going to move his bed into the room.

He explained that he realized that because he couldn't talk or make any proper motion unless someone's watching him to see it, no one knew if he needed something.

While it was still somewhat the same if the other was sleeping, Heinz also knew that despite all that's happened; his nemesis' skills were sharp. He would know if he needed to be changed or suffered nightmares of his own.

However, it only added to the brunette's list of questions that the other kept things from him whenever it was time for bed or to change into fresh clothes.

Perry would always duck into the bathroom to change, always wearing a long sleeved shirt regardless of the weather. He'd even keep them rolled down when it came to the brunette's baths.

If only he could talk, he'd make him answer why he hid like that, why he always wore those shirts than something comfortable.

But he couldn't and was forced to deal with it, unsure if he would ever get better, get the help he had been promised by that girl.

The only thing he knew was that the night Perry had in a sense moved into his room, he just about stopped having all nightmares.

The once platypus slept peacefully, the brunette watching him before sleep claimed him as well.

Why did he find that face so attractive, wanting to see him smile, knowing the gesture must be making his chest tighten and heart race faster.

Could he possibly be falling for his former enemy?

No, it couldn't be, he must still be traumatized and simply letting instincts attempt to take control. Plus, how would he have known the other to look good as a human.

Perry wasn't girly in appearance, but not all that manly either, not with the way the clothes fitted him.

He had this certain charm that made him unique, knowing he had it even back as a platypus. It was what made him as he is; even now it remained despite the hell he's had to endure for so long now.

He could only stare and silently observe, often visited by the kids, mostly the redhead, Phineas, if he remembered correctly.

Despite the heavy losses the child has had to endure, he seemed to have his bubbly nature, a contagious smile, eyes lit with creative innocence.

He would visit and talk with him, somehow reading him, unsure if he really _was_ that easy to read.

In a strange way, it was nice to have the kid around, it made the room feel less bleak when Perry isn't around, even if it was just for a couple of minutes.

"Mr. Doofenshmirtz, I know you're a bad guy, or used to be I guess in this case, but I'm glad you came. Maybe not dropping out of the sky as you did, but I'm glad either way," the redhead spoke, sitting next to the other with a smile on his face.

Without having to look at the other, he knew he must've held a confused look, puzzled by his words.

"I know Ferb, Candace and I make Perry happy a whole lot, but there's something about you that made him _really_ happy. He seems to care so much about you, then I remember all the stories he'd tell us, both good and bad ones. I especially liked the ones where you protected us when we were in the second dimension, even gave your parallel self that toy train. It really showed what kind of person you are, same with stories of when you protected each other, acting like friends than enemies."

At that, he turned, giving the sweetest smile the other's ever seen on any person, somehow reminding him of Perry's own smiles, even back in Danville.

Guess that explains where he learned to show such affection, be it brief or left in subtle means to be later picked up on.

"He really seems to love you and I hope you'll get better soon. I know Perry would be happy as much as you would be. It'd be really cool if we could invent stuff together for fun. I bet if we were to work together, you, me, Ferb, Perry, all of us could find a way back home one of these days."

Tears formed in the man's eyes, overwhelmed by emotion as he stared at the redhead, watching as he grabbed a tissue, wiping his eyes dry.

Maybe he really _does_ love Perry, always had but never saw it because of the difference of their species before. That and the fact at the time, they were enemies, having no time to really see anything past friendship.

It made a lot of sense though and wondered if the agent might feel the same, having the same thoughts he's having now.

The two knew each other well, at least the smaller male knew just about everything regarding him. He did pretty much tell him about his entire life in every scheme he's formed. But he's also learning so much about the other through him or the others such as Phineas.

"Oh, I almost forgot, I know it must get boring and there isn't a TV in here, though a lot of the shows suck," the boy prattled briefly as he remembered something.

Picking something up, he held a book in the other's face, the man's eyes widening a little that it was one his own favorites.

"I picked this up from the library, Perry told me that you liked to read sometimes when you weren't trying to take over our town," the boy giggled softly. "I know it's impossible for you to turn the pages right now, so if you don't mind, I can read it to you."

Seeing the boy smiling brighter, Heinz knew he must've been smiling in return, allowing the boy to start reading.

He kept reading until Perry had to walk in and get the other fed and later washed up, marking the page, leaving the book on the nightstand.

He returned later, reading some more until it was dinner, repeating the process before they eventually had to go to bed.

The redhead kept it up just about every other day, Perry suggesting with Heinz agreeing through blinks to read so many chapters or pages a day.

That way, it'd last longer and kept special as well as not be stuck indoors nonstop, the redhead agreeing, eager to please.

It was there the redhead was outside with his siblings, the three having been asked to get a few things, mostly movies they could watch together.

"Oh man, I'm so bored!" the redhead whined, throwing his head back, arms shooting to the air for dramatic effect.

Candace knew the source for her brother's boredom, for once they were having a good time, not having to worry as much. He could finally act like a kid in a sense, but he had no idea what to do now that he had all this free time.

"Why don't you design something?" she suggested out of the blue.

Instantly, it grabbed the boy's attention by how fast he spun to face her, blue eyes lighting up. Even Ferb seemed interested as he stopped to turn around, staring at her, showing he was just as bored.

"That's a great idea, but what should we build though?" he wondered, tapping his chin with one hand. "I mean aside from whatever we need in order to get back home. I think we know it'll have to be some dimension traveling device after what Perry told us from that second dimension we went through and whatnot."

Perry strictly told him he couldn't do his wild inventions, at least nothing that could be seen by public eye or deemed dangerous in the public's eye.

Trying to think of something, knowing if it had been any other day; she would've done it to get her brothers busted. But right now, she just wanted to see her brothers having fun and be themselves for once.

"We see how much Perry struggles trying to take care of Mr. Doofenshmirtz, maybe you could make something that'd make it easier? Or even something that could help communication with him easier?" she suggested, seeing their eyes lighting up further at the idea.

"That's brilliant!" Phineas practically squealed in delight, hugging his sister tightly, hearing her laugh at his enthusiasm. "Guess we know what we're going to do."

Ferb smiled, nodding, feeling like things were back to normal, the trio stopping by a craft store to pick up some sketchbooks and such.

If any inventing was going to get done, designs need to be made and lists put together of what they could use or get easily to accomplish their goal.

The redhead knew if they had been back in Danville, it'd be done in a day, but here, at least a few days getting the materials together.

He was practically on cloud nine, dreamily thinking of how much fun he'd have, how happy the brunette back home would be when it was done.

The redhead barely took notice that his siblings had stopped, frozen in terror, only stopping when he didn't hear them following.

He faced them, unaware of what they were staring at, seeing their faces, the way Ferb actually hugging Candace's arm in fear.

Slowly, he turned around, paling at the small girl walking down the sidewalk, seeing her dressed in tattered clothes that looked a tad too small on her.

She was covered in dirt, her bright pink hair also filthy, reddish eyes dull as she looked to the ground, appearing defeated.

But what caught his attention more was what was on top of her head, making him nearly drop his bags, stepping backwards in fear.

"Sh-she…she has…" he stuttered, paralyzed with fear as he felt himself yanked backwards into his sister's embrace.

"Horns," she finished for him.

* * *

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	23. Chapter 23

All three could feel their hearts pounding in their chests, threatening to burst out, ready to die just from sheer terror.

They've seen diclonii before, having seen a few at Dennis' funeral, wearing disguises to avoid being hunted down. Those girls were all friendly, a little quiet, but friendly no less. They showed no malice towards any of them, only kindness, even as they cried that day over their hero.

Yet they couldn't stop shaking, paralyzed with fear, the eldest unsure what to do to protect her brothers.

How could she protect them, get them and herself away to safety without antagonizing the kid? Especially as she's walking straight to them!

None of them could attempt to call, there wasn't time, it might set her off and have her attack and they'd never see it coming.

Phineas could feel tears prickling his eyes, not wanting to be afraid, but he couldn't help it.

He glanced at the other two, seeing Ferb was absolutely terrified; sweat covering his face, possibly tears threatening to fall as well.

Candace however somehow held strong, her face sweating with fear, but could tell she was trying to think of something to save themselves.

He turned his gaze back to the child, finding she couldn't be any more than five years old, his fear beginning to ebb away.

She stumbled a bit, leaning against a wall, appearing she was going to take a nap by how tired she looked.

His fear completely vanished when a man had tripped over her tiny frame, the adult clearly drunk by his face and the way he staggered about.

"Watch it ya little freak!" he snarled, speech slurred as he began kicking the small girl, ignoring her pitiful cries.

"That bastard," Candace growled, the two ignoring she swore, having gotten used to it from her and at school. "Phineas!"

Before she knew it, he wrenched himself from her grasp, bags dropping as he ran towards the one sided fight, fire burning in his eyes.

She tried to go after him, but she was frozen, Ferb still holding onto her, having an iron grip as he shook horribly, completely helpless.

"Leave her alone!" the redhead shouted, tackling the man away from the barely moving child.

"This has notin' to do with ya," the man sputtered angrily, shouting in pain when the boy delivered a sharp kick to his shin. "Ya little shit stain!"

The redhead let out a yelp when he was grabbed by the front of his shirt, forcing him to dangle in the air.

He started kicking frantically, managing to hit his mark a second time, getting the guy's face, seeing his nose starting to bleed.

"I'll deal with ya later," the man grumbled, throwing the boy aside as if tossing garbage, the redhead crying out as he tumbled away.

"Phineas! Get out of there!" Candace screamed, forcing herself and Ferb to run to their fallen sibling.

The entire time this went on, the child came out of her daze long enough to see what was happening.

She stared in confusion, shocked that someone tried to help her, having seen the evident fear on his face.

She was ready to attack them before she lost her footing, her vision blacking out briefly from the hunger pains hitting that moment.

Then the pain increased when someone tripped over her and began kicking away like she was a ball she's seen other kids play with.

She was in too much of a daze to retaliate and kill the man, surprised when the boy ran over, a strange fire in his eyes as he tried attacking the drunken man.

She watched as he kicked and attempted to continue doing so when held in the air briefly before he was thrown aside.

Her eyes widened when hearing tires screeching, a car attempting to stop, unable to thanks to this morning's rain making the ground slick.

Something inside her snapped, having her transparent arms manifest, aiming them towards the disoriented boy.

Phineas had seen the car, body frozen in fear, squeezing his eyes shut for the inevitable, hearing metal crunching loudly.

Thinking that he was hit at first, he soon realized that he hadn't, finding no pain consuming him other than the few scrapes he got.

Cracking an eye open, both opened, almost bulging at the sight in front of him, his siblings stare with mixed feelings.

The car that would've hit him, it had been stopped by the vectors, the semi-transparent arms crushing the front end of the vehicle. The engine, tires, everything crushed, the driver miraculously unharmed as he shakily got out, running away.

At the same time the drunk had come out of his buzz, realizing what he had been using as a soccer ball.

Fearing death, he instantly ran off, absolutely terrified as were others who witnessed the rescue, but didn't see it as that, their fears to strong.

Several let out screams, all running away, not wanting to die, leaving only the siblings and beaten child as the only ones around.

Phineas was still in a daze, barely registering Candace taking him into her arms, checking him over for serious injuries.

He kept staring at the injured girl, he and the other two knowing it wasn't an illusion they were seeing.

His sister and brother witnessed the girl's vectors rising up to an incredible height, slamming down like lightening onto the car, stopping it in its tracks.

She could have easily let the car hit the redhead, have simply killed him herself before the car got close, killed everyone, including the drunk, but she didn't.

Slowly, Phineas got to his feet, trembling the entire time, almost tripping over the curb when he began walking to the small girl.

He watched her getting as far to her knees before stopping, appearing to be in pain, possibly afraid as she watched him warily.

"Th-thank you…you saved me," he stuttered as he gave a smile, not feeling as afraid of her as he did minutes ago.

"You know what I am though…" she answered numbly, making him frown.

"Yeah, but I'm not scared, not any more. I'm sorry for being afraid," he answered, his stutters lessening.

She looked away, as if ashamed, for what, none of them were sure, not even sure if she knew herself.

She let out a startled cry when the redhead was suddenly in her face, a smile on his face, having recovered quite a bit.

"Come with us, you look like you hadn't eaten in a while," he offered, the girl staring in shock at his kindness.

Candace wanted to stop her brother, but she couldn't bring herself to do so, knowing that he was right. She looked so tiny, it was evident she didn't eat enough, might not have eaten all day either.

Going against logic, against everything taught to her regarding diclonii, she walked over to the two.

The entire time her grip on Ferb's hand hadn't loosened, nor did his, though did grow tighter to the point she winced a little. But she ignored it, knowing how scared he was, a miracle he hadn't broken down, that other hadn't either.

"Can you walk?" the redhead asked suddenly, having seen how bruised she looked, worried about her.

She didn't answer, attempting to get to her feet, stumbling again by how weak and tired she felt.

"Let me help," he offered, managing to get her onto his back, hoisting her legs up under his arms, feeling her arms wrap loosely around his shoulders. "Is this okay?"

"Why are you nice to me?" the small girl asked, unsure of what the strange boy's intentions could be.

"Why shouldn't I?" he asked, having begun moving.

The other two nearly forgot about their bags, grabbing them quickly before taking chase so not to lose either.

"I'm a monster."

"You don't look like one."

"But I am, I'm a disgusting monster," the small girl sobbed, burying her face into the boy's shoulder. "If I never existed, then Mommy and Daddy would still be alive."

Instantly all three had stopped, hearing those dreadful words, letting them sink in and register into their brains.

"What…what did you say?" Phineas asked nervously, craning his neck to stare at those tear filled eyes.

"Mommy and Daddy died because of me. Policemen came and shot them because of me, because they wouldn't give me up. It's all my fault!"

"You were the one who killed those officers?" Candace gasped, remembering what Perry had told her and Jeremy about that particular event.

She felt her teeth clench, recalling how the mother had been with child, her fear traded with anger.

"It isn't your fault, you were defending yourself," she comforted, her angering remaining, but it wasn't directed at the little girl.

"But it is…I didn't even know why I did it. I just killed them after they shot Mommy many times in her belly."

"Why would…" Phineas started before he had been interrupted.

"Your mother was pregnant?" Ferb gasped, feeling sick as the girl nodded with more sniffles.

"I broke their promise though. I promised Mommy and Daddy that I wouldn't ever hurt anyone."

"It wasn't your fault though, you were really scared. If…if I had to watch something so horrible, I don't know what I'd do," Phineas spoke softly, truth in every word that escaped his lips. "I might've done the same thing too if that happened."

"I might too," the green haired boy added nervously, glancing at his sister, seeing how serious she looked.

"Normally it isn't right to kill, but you weren't given a choice. What they did was far worse. You never did anything wrong and they tried to make you pay in their twisted view for justice," Candace spoke softly, her angering dissipating. "Just like they said, if…if I had to endure that kind of hell… Anyone would've snapped."

This wasn't a monster; this was a scared little girl, practically a baby judging her size, left to fend for herself in a cruel world.

It wasn't fair she had to go through that, having no one to help her, to comfort her when she was cold and scared.

As much as she hated herself for thinking this, she was glad all those officers were dead. Willing to shoot a defenseless family? Gun down a pregnant mother, ready to gun down a little girl? _They_ were the monsters, not the little girl.

Silence fell around them, unsure what else to say other than a few calming words whenever the girl began crying.

They carefully made their way back home, taking a longer route to avoid running into people, knowing the trouble that could cause.

Already they ran the risk just from the incident with the car, but at the same time people might've been too scared of her than noticing three kids in the vicinity.

Arriving home, they walked in as quickly as they could, trying to think how to introduce their guest before a voice called out.

"Candace? Boys? Is that you?"

"Yeah…um…Seri, we need to talk to you," the teen called back nervously.

It barely took a minute for her to step into the room, stopping in her tracks upon seeing the girl still sitting on Phineas' back.

"Where on earth did you find her?" she gasped in surprise.

She was already making her way over, no fear showing as she scooped the tiny thing up into her arms, cradling the half asleep child.

The three explained, mostly the eldest, the woman listening intently, eyes widening when learning exactly who this child is.

"I see… Candace, would you be a dear and help our guest wash up? I'm sure she's famished, but I think she'll enjoy a bath much more before eating."

"No problem," she answered, accepting the little girl, having pawned off her bags onto her brothers.

"We can see if Isabella and Baljeet have some clothes to spare until we can get her something better," Phineas offered, grabbing Ferb's hand to drag him off, dumping the bags onto the couch quickly.

"Alright, I'll get another plate set up then," Seri smiled, knowing what they were doing is dangerous.

However, the child looked harmless and hearing she saved them and her interactions, she felt there was hope to save her from her instincts.

She knew that if Dennis had been here, he would've already been on the move, doing the very things they're doing right now to make the child happy.

So she knew she was making the right choice for that child, that those three made the right decision as well.

* * *

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	24. Chapter 24

Candace barely suppressed a laugh when the small girl started splashing around, her innocence outshining her sorrow.

When she fully woke up, she learned she was going to bath and get fresh clothes before eating, easily grabbing her curiosity.

She made sure the tub was filled enough and at a comfortable temperature before helping her undress.

The whole thing reminded her of when her mom used to help bathe her and knew she did the same for her brothers when they were really little.

But unlike her own childhood, she couldn't help but cringe whenever she spotted a bruise or the fact of how thin the small girl looked. She couldn't believe she managed to live as long as she had, wondering exactly how old she is.

"Alright, I'll do what I can to keep the soap out of your eyes, if it does, let me know," the redhead spoke as she began to help lather the girl's hair.

Mindful of the horns, not worried of getting cut, but worried of hurting the small child, but did make contact.

She couldn't believe they actually felt like bone, remembering times she's touched some in high school for science.

It was rather cool how smooth they felt, but was eerie too that they were exposed like this, similar to an elephant's tusks.

Eventually she finished, helping the girl rinse off and helped her out of the tub, wrapping her in a towel while the tub drained.

Drying her off, she felt the small child wrap her arms round her, hugging her, the look on her face filled with peace.

"Let's see if we can get you something new to wear?" Candace smiled as she picked her up, making sure the towel stayed wrapped around her.

"Okay, and thank you…you don't have to be so nice," the small girl spoke as she stared at her, eyes filled with curiosity and sorrow.

"It wouldn't have been fair to leave you out there, horns or no horns, you're still a child," she answered, resting her head against hers, seeing her smile softly. "You won't have to be afraid here at all, you have nothing to worry about."

Reaching Isabella's room, they saw the young girl standing by her bed, a small pile of clothes, extras between her and Baljeet next to her.

"Is that the girl you, Phineas, and Ferb found?" she asked as the two came in, the eldest sitting on the bed with the little one on her lap.

"Yeah," the teenager answered before realizing she didn't know the child's name.

"Hi there, I'm Isabella," the raven haired girl greeted, holding her hand out, a smile on her face.

Hesitantly, the other did before replying with a small stutter, "I-I'm Melody."

"I'm Candace," the teen added.

"Your name's really pretty," the raven haired girl complimented dreamily.

"Thank you," the other answered with a tiny blush.

"How old are you?" Isabella suddenly asked as they helped the little girl change, finding she was far smaller than they imagined.

"I think I'm five…I don't really know…"

"I'm sure we can find out," Candace reassured, hugging the girl.

"Really?"

"Yeah," she smiled, seeing she began to smile a little more, appearing to feel safer around them.

They finally got her dressed, the younger girl offering a pair of her underwear for the youngest to wear, albeit they were a bit big, but it was better than nothing.

Melody now wore a pair of overalls the Indian boy would often wear, finding no pants or skirts would fit her without slipping off.

She wore a pink shirt that was much too big, seeing as it tried slipping off her shoulders, the straps barely keeping them in place.

"There we go, now you're dressed for dinner," the raven haired girl giggled, taking the other's hands into hers. "I bet you're really hungry."

She nodded numbly, following the girls, her hands held in each of theirs; filling her with confusion from the years of abuse she endured.

Why were they so kind to her?

They knew what she was, but didn't seem to care at all.

They acted like her parents, willing to love her for who she is than fearing her over her horns. They were even excited to learn she would have a baby sister, exciting even her that she'd have one too.

When they reached the dining room, they spotted the table being set, two faces familiar, the rest new.

"Oh wow, she looks great," Phineas laughed as he ran up, careful not to startle the smallest member of the group. "Are you still hurting?"

"A little, but not as badly as before," Melody answered, finding a strange comfort with the boy.

"I'm sorry you got hurt like that, but you won't have to worry about getting hurt, maybe a few noogies from Buford, but it's for fun."

"Noogies?"

"Yeah, he does it a lot to me and Baljeet. Sometimes it gives headaches if he did it hard or for a long time. But all in all, it's still pretty funny to watch and have happen."

Candace rolled her eyes a little, watching her little brother trying to describe what noogies are without demonstrating it or telling her to simply wait for it to happen.

"Oh, I almost forgot, I'm Phineas by the way," he introduced, smiling sheepishly before pointing to his brother, "that's Ferb, he's a bit quiet, but he's really nice."

"I'm Melody," she answered before speaking again when he was about to say more, somehow knowing what it was. "Isabella and Candace told me their names when they helped get me dressed."

"That's cool, and your name's really cute," the redheaded boy grinned, the other two giggling.

"Thank you," the girl smiled back, starting to like these people more and more.

It reminded her so much of her family, causing tears to start forming in her eyes, the others catching it.

"Are you okay?" the boy asked, concern showing as she gave a small nod, wiping at her eyes.

"I never met people who didn't care what I was aside my mommy and daddy," she sniffled slightly, feeling herself pulled into his arms.

"People can be mean, I've seen a lot of them, but there are nice people too," he comforted, hugging her as she hugged back. "Like us here, we're nice, even if some don't act like it at first. And there are others too, I promise you that."

"Umm…are all of you related?" Melody asked nervously, fidgeting slightly as she was slowly introduced to the others.

"Not exactly," the redhead laughed before his brother decided to chime in.

"Only Candace and Phineas are related by blood. My father married their mom, so I'm their stepbrother. Perry on the other hand had been adopted shortly after our parents married. As for everyone else, they're friends of ours," he explained, hoping he didn't confuse her as he gave her a kind smile.

"Speaking of which, hey Perry," Phineas grinned as he waved the young man over, seeing him carrying some dishes for the table.

Already they could feel their mouths watering by the smells, already knowing what was going to be served, including the side dishes.

"Seri told me we were having a guest," he smiled, having been concerned until actually seeing the child, he felt his heart melt.

She was absolutely adorable, wide eyes scanning around, clinging to his brother's arm out of nervousness.

Her clothes were much too big, making a mental note to see about going out with Seri if not Candace to find her something better. Whether they could take the girl with them will be debatable less Seri suggests they take her to her people.

"I hope you'll enjoy dinner," the agent smiled, red eyes sparkling warmly that made the little girl smile even more.

But with that smile came tears, her emotions bubbling over, recalling when she lost her parents.

She remembered how much fun she had just before those men came and destroyed her life.

There was so much blood, the sounds of the bullets being fired, her hiding, having been shoved behind furniture by her parents to protect her.

She had been dragged out, stunned as she watched the two most important people in her life ripped away. Her eyes never left their faces, seeing the fear and pain they endured, the same look she held.

"Hey, are you okay?" Perry asked, seeing the small child starting to cry, worrying that he said or did something wrong.

Candace was the first to act, grabbing him by the arm, pulling him away while their brothers took care of the little girl.

"What happened?" he asked when they were alone in the hall, seeing her face darken considerably.

"Remember when you told Jeremy and I about all those cops dying?"

"Yeah…oh shit, _that's_ her?"

She nodded before continuing, "She told us."

"Wait, Phineas and Ferb know?"

"Afraid so."

"Oh man…but it looks like they're taking the news pretty well."

"Phineas saved her from being some guy's soccer ball, and she in turn saved him when a car nearly ran him down."

"Wait, what?"

She explained in better detail of what transpired, the other staring in mixed horror between what almost befell their brother and the heroic deed the child did.

"He was afraid, we all were, and Melody knew that. But after what happened, it's like that fear never existed in the first place," Candace sighed softly, crossing her arms as she leaned against the wall. "Phineas offered to carry her when she couldn't walk, giving her a piggyback ride the entire way."

"That's Phineas for you, he's a special kid. Even after all that's happened, he manages to eventually find a reason to smile again."

"We have to tell him though, all of them about Danville."

"I know, but not right now, not with Melody here, and especially in her present state. It wouldn't be right to destroy the serenity just like that."

"You're right," the redhead sighed, understanding his concern very well. "I just hope we don't end up waiting to long."

Giving her a sympathetic look, he pulled her into his arms, rubbing her back gently as she leaned in, returning the gesture.

"It'll be fine, the fact Heinz appeared, there _must_ be a way to leave here and get someplace safe. If we can find a way to communicate with him, he could tell us what happened and how he got here. And maybe, _just_ maybe fate will be on our side and we find our families, a sign that we didn't lose _everything_ in Danville."

"I actually suggested that to the boys, mostly because Phineas was complaining about being bored."

"_You_ giving _them_ ideas? Who are you and what'd you do with Candace?" Perry teased, feeling her punch his arm as she laughed softly.

"I _am_ their big sister, I think that takes greater priority than busting them," she laughed as they went back to the dining room, both feeling better.

Arriving, the teenager took her seat next to Jeremy, watching as everyone else took their seats save for the adults as they portioned out the meal.

It wasn't anything spectacular, a rather simple pasta dinner, but the spices and seasonings used for it was amazing, definitely Seri's work. Any help Perry did was more than likely to check the temperature and stir anything that needed it.

As they were served, they also had a smaller pot filled with extra sauce and meatballs for those who want more for their plate than the initial portion.

They also passed around biscuits, knowing those were Perry's handiwork, as some were burnt, but were delicious no less.

When the plate was set in front of Melody, they watched as she just about dove in, doing her best not to get messy.

But as with any little kid, her face was coated in sauce as were her hands whenever she'd try to catch a falling meatball.

Phineas was the first to act, taking a napkin to help her clean off, the girl giggling at the attention. Even Ferb offered his help, seeing it was going to be a very messy dinner with her, especially when she asked for seconds.

As the others ate, some were snickering at the way the boys fussed over the little girl, some half expecting a certain raven haired girl to get jealous.

But when they stole a glance at her, they saw her smiling, looking overjoyed seeing the boys act so protective.

Perry saw this, snickering softly, managing to hide it behind a napkin when he wiped his face or made the excuse to do so.

He knew Phineas wouldn't show any more affection to her than he would anyone else in this room, possibly the whole world.

He knew the boy quite well, aside the age gap between the two, he was never really interested in romance to begin with. He'd rather have fun with his friends, making inventions for all to enjoy, seizing the day before it ran out.

Reprimanding his wandering mind once more, he focused back onto the kids, smiling softly as they chatted with Melody happily.

It was like she's always been with them since day one, has always been in their lives, making him smile at how lucky he is to be with such amazing boys.

Eventually dinner ended, the teal haired man helping with collecting the dishes, Seri having already gone back into the kitchen.

Before long, she had left with a tray, knowing it was Heinz's dinner and was going to feed him. He would've done it himself, but she has better experience with her nursing, so left her in charge with that.

Washing the dishes, hearing the kids in one of the other rooms playing games, he was surprised when hearing a noise behind him.

Thinking it was Candace or Jeremy offering to help, he was taken back when seeing Melody standing there.

What startled him more wasn't so much being in the same room as her, but seeing the remaining dirty dishes floating, seeing semi-transparent arms holding them.

"That's amazing," he gasped, knowing how stupid it must've sounded, but that's how he felt.

"Mommy and Daddy taught me how to use them so I wouldn't break something or hurt someone by accident," she answered the hidden question, a nervous smile on her face. "Is it okay if I help?"

"You don't have too," he said, giving her a gentle smile as he watched each plate and cup go into the dishwasher.

"Pretty please?" she begged, his heart melting at the innocent plea, finally submitting due to her adorable nature.

Thankfully he didn't have much to clean, there were dishes and pans that wouldn't fit in the washer, and felt to clean them now than letting them sit.

It was mostly silent save for the machine running and slight clinking of dishes being washed.

He watched in amazement as the small girl used her vectors to help dry the wet ones, others opening cabinet doors to find where they should go.

She even lifted herself up off the ground showing perfect control over them, clearly showing whoever her parents were; they had a lot of knowledge about her kind.

If Dennis were here right now, he would've been ecstatic about the whole thing, he was positive.

"Your parents really trusted you, didn't they?" Perry questioned when they finished, the dishwasher done, putting the cleaned dishes away.

"They wanted me to be happy and know I have nothing to be afraid of…" she whispered, her vectors trembling, looking ready to drop what they had.

"I'm sorry bringing them up like that," he apologized, guilt hitting him hard. "I'm sure wherever they are now, they're watching over you, happy to see you've survived. I was told you saved my little brother and that he tried to protect you. They would be proud to know that, I'm sure of it."

"But they would be mad at me for killing all those policemen…"

"They'd be upset, but they could never hate you. If they loved you as much as you do, then they'd understand why you did what you did. You're just a kid; you went through something no child should ever go through."

"I still miss them though," she whimpered as she began to wipe at her eyes.

"I know, I miss my parents too," he blurted, feeling tears beginning to form as he picked the small girl up when she finished, her vectors gone.

"Where are they?"

"I don't know to be honest, I've been searching for a while now," he spoke softly, eyes threatening to tear over. "I don't even know if they're alive…"

Feeling small arms wrap around his, he almost mistook them for Phineas before seeing the pink hair and horns, remembering who he was holding.

"You'll find them," she comforted, the young man giving her a teary smile as he started carrying her.

"Thank you, Melody," he whispered, burying his face into her shoulder.

* * *

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	25. Chapter 25

After given a second bath, Melody had been told about Heinz when asking where Seri had gone or where the food on the tray went.

"Is it okay if I meet him?" she asked innocently, the other once more melting at her sweet nature.

"Sure, I'm sure he'd like meeting you too," the teal haired man smiled. "But he won't be able to talk or move much, so don't get upset if he doesn't respond, okay?"

"What happened to him? Did he get hurt?"

"Yeah, he did, but we're not sure exactly how," he sighed as he carried her down to his shared room with the brunette.

"I hope he gets better," she spoke sadly as they came up to the door.

"Me too," he sighed as he felt himself beginning to brighten up when seeing his former nemesis. "Hey there Heinz, I'm sure that Seri told you we had a guest. Well, she wanted to meet you."

The brunette glanced over, somehow having gotten used to moving his head without feeling it.

The moment he saw the hair and horns though, he held his breath, not realizing he was doing so before the other panicked.

"Heinz! Breathe you idiot!" Perry shouted as he ran over, having set a startled Melody down.

When he was by the bedside, he began performing the basic CPR, ready to do mouth to mouth before seeing the chest rising and falling again.

"What's happening?" Seri asked as she ran in, having heard the shout, her eyes filled with worry.

"I don't know, he just stopped breathing, he looked scared," Perry spoke, feeling his hands shaking.

"He's scared of me…" the tiny girl whimpered, beginning to back away, tears forming in her eyes.

"Oh sweetie, no, I'm sure there's another reason. Don't cry now," the widow cooed, scooping her up into her arms.

"Heinz, she won't hurt you, she saved Phineas' life earlier today, she's a good girl," Perry instantly reassured, instinctively petting the man's hair.

Hearing those words and looking at the small girl, he realized this tiny thing wasn't Eva or connected to her than their similar appearances.

He felt guilty for reacting as he did, for scaring everyone like that, giving Perry a remorseful look as much as he gave it to the child.

Reading it well, the teal haired man gave him a sad smile before turning to the small girl, gesturing for her to come over.

"It's alright now, he understands," he reassured, watching as the two walked over, the little girl sitting in the woman's lap nervously.

"Mr. Heinz," the small girl spoke up suddenly, eyes downcast as she fidgeted nervously. "I don't know if you had a bad experience with someone like me, but I promise, I won't do anything bad here. I like it here a whole lot, everyone's so nice, I don't want it to go away."

She tentatively looked up, tears forming in her eyes before a smile formed on her face when seeing the other's face looking far more peaceful. He held a small, apologetic smile, blue eyes sparkling with a few tears of his own.

How could he be afraid of this sweet little thing?

How could anyone even _want_ to hurt such a cutie?

He saw her growing sleepy as the adults talked with him, the teal haired male telling the two how he knew him, albeit twisting a few things around.

_"__Pretty clever, Perry the Not Platypus,"_ he chuckled in his head, playfully putting that add on, somehow feeling the other knew what he did.

"I'll be back…" he started, ready to gather the small girl up to help her to bed before Seri interrupted him.

"I'll take care of Melody, you can get yourself and Heinz ready for bed," she teased, making the other laugh softly.

"Alright, _Mom_," he teased back, the woman rolling her eyes as she left with the dozing child.

Getting to work, he started prepping the bathtub with water, wondering why Seri made it big enough for two people.

Okay, he knew, but it wasn't like he was going to actually _bathe_ with the man, at least not as long as his arms looked as they do.

Heaving a sigh, he got to work making sure the water was at a comfortable temperature he knew the man liked.

Just because Heinz can't feel doesn't mean it shouldn't be comfortable, right?

His mind drifted to the man in question, getting him undressed, leaving a loose robe on him just in case one of the kids came bursting in. Hasn't happened yet, but knew it could, be a nightmare or something else entirely different.

With some effort, he heaved him up into his arms, careful not to hit his head when walking through the doorway and into the bathroom.

Fully undressed and in the water, Perry began to wash the body, careful not to do anything that might seem inappropriate.

He watched the other's reactions, unsure whether he'll be able to feel again or not, so always kept his eyes on him.

Heinz on the other hand, while he truly appreciated everything Perry's doing for him, he still felt miffed by whatever secrets he's harboring.

Even as he's being bathed, the agent hasn't lifted the sleeves of his shirt up, leaving them soaked.

He's beginning to piece together what could be the reason, but without actually talking to him, he was left frustrated.

Just about all of Perry's nightmares seemed to have stopped or they've at least hadn't become as vocal as they were before.

He was still miserable waking up, not realizing he's being stared at discreetly when staring at his arms for so long.

_"__What happened to you?"_ Heinz asked in his thoughts, wishing he could communicate with him.

When he had been helped out of the tub, dried and redressed in some loose pajamas, Heinz felt he couldn't take it anymore.

A strange sensation filled him, unsure if it was the Hōgyoku implanted inside him or something else entirely, he found his hand lifting up.

Perry never saw it coming, far too focused making sure the buttons of his friend's pajama top were well fastened.

He stopped, jumping in surprise when a hand grabbed his arm, yanking the sleeve upwards, exposing his scarred limb.

"H-Heinz?" he gasped softly, attempting to pull away, unable to without using full force, something he was afraid of doing with the brunette like this.

The man stared at the jagged marks, taking note of their angles, realizing they were self-inflicted; he raised his head, blue eyes locking with red ones.

"P-please…please let go of my arm," Perry begged softly, starting to panic, seeing the emotions flickering in the other's eyes.

He did let go, only to raise his hand to the other's face, gingerly touching his cheek as a stray tear fell.

How could he move like this?

It should be nearly impossible if his nerves were severed, yet he's moving!

Is he starting to regain feeling or is it something else?

Could it relate to whatever experiments the man was forced to endure?

Perry shook, unable to hold back as a few more tears fell from his eyes, squeezing them shut in an attempt to look away.

Before he knew it, the hand went to the back of his head, making him shake harder, unsure what was going to happen.

What he didn't expect was to suddenly be pulled in fast, face pressed into the other's chest, two arms wrapping around him.

"H-Heinz…" he sobbed softly, hugging him back.

He didn't care if he could feel it or not, how strange it looks if someone walked in on them suddenly.

He honestly _needed_ the comfort, something he couldn't get from the others and the scientist was giving it to him right now.

"I…I'm so sorry; I was weak and so scared. I thought you were gone, my boys, everyone I cared about were all gone. I didn't want to become a monster."

_"__A monster?"_ the scientist wondered in his thoughts as he continued stroking the other's back, not bothered by the lack of feeling.

He's oddly enough gotten used to it, yet somehow, it was like he could still feel, figuring it was instincts and subconscious memories helping him.

He's read about something like that before with amputees when he was still in college, so it wouldn't surprise him if it was the same for him.

"I saw so many tortured, murdered before my eyes, listening and watching people committing suicide. I can only imagine what experiments they endured after I had been experimented on. I saw people taken away either to be sold for sex, experimented further or…or they join their cause. I was terrified of becoming _that_ worse than the experiments, than being raped repeatedly!"

_"__Oh Perry…"_ Heinz cried in his thoughts, somehow tightening his hug on the other, hearing him cry harder into his chest.

He stared at the teal and black hair, his vision blurring, knowing he must've been crying heavily.

Who wouldn't after hearing that?

They would have to be heartless monsters not to be moved, not to be horrified by the nightmare the poor agent endured.

Before he knew it, he leaned his head down while a hand pushed his head back a little, exposing some skin.

Slowly, he pressed his lips on the crying male's forehead, seeing him jerk in surprise, staring as he lifted a hand to the spot.

_"__Did he just kiss me? Kiss my forehead?"_ Perry wondered as he felt the area, a strange tingling sensation filling him.

Whatever the reason behind it was or why he felt like this, he didn't really care at the moment. It felt nice, even feeling better when leaning into the other's arms, his crying slowing down with a few hiccups on occasion.

"I'm sorry for not telling you, I was scared you'd hate me. I've always been so strong around you, I barely showed weakness. I should have known better, you must've gone through far worse than I did."

_"__My suffering doesn't compare to yours though…"_

"Agents aren't even supposed to form any kind of relationship with their nemesis, yet somehow you and I formed a friendship like no other. We fought, we hated each other, yet we also loved each other so much. I don't know why, but the thought of losing you, it hurt far worse than losing my owners, my brothers. Why did it hurt so much losing you when we're enemies?"

_"__Perry…"_

He couldn't believe how badly off his former nemesis was mentally, how unstable he's become from wherever he was prior.

How he survived it all, he was simply amazed, but realized just how vulnerable the other truly was.

Every day as an agent, no matter how calm and collected he appeared, he must've always feared losing his family, losing him as a friend. He must've been terrified one day screwing up, being found out in some manner, who knows what. The pressure must've been immense, then adding in whatever hell he was put through that made him human, it made it worse.

"I'm sorry for being so weak now, for not saving you sooner," he hiccupped, eyes growing heavier.

His body growing limp, the agent let himself and the other crash onto the mattress. He couldn't gather the strength to get up and clean himself off and into his own bed, letting himself hug the other tighter.

_"__You're not weak though, you never are, no matter how you look,"_ the brunette mentally comforted, pulling the other into his arms before sleep claimed them both.

At some point the sun shined through the blinds, rousing the two men into consciousness, the smaller male first to realize where he was.

_"__Oh god, what did I do?"_ Perry wondered, not recalling what happened last night.

When he went to run his hand through his hair, he felt his forehead, memories surfacing, calming him down somewhat.

_"__At least I didn't take advantage of him,"_ he sighed in relief, _"how does he calm me down where my boys can't? Maybe I should ask Jeremy, he's a smart kid and pretty understanding. If Dennis were still here, I would ask him right away…"_

A few stray tears fell from his eyes as he recalled the former Rogue.

He missed him so much as did everyone else, but for him; it felt like he lost a brother than a friend.

He'll admit, when he was a new agent, barely out of training, Dennis was considered a prodigy next to him. He admired him so much, and was heartbroken when learning he had become a rogue agent, forced to fight him twice even.

Mentally shaking his head, not wanting to end up in further depression, not when he still has to take care of everyone else here, he slowly got up from the bed.

He knew Heinz wouldn't wake up, if he wasn't awake already, but he did it out of habit from the times he shared a bed with the boys when they got scared, him included.

As he began to gather clothes and get himself freshened up to make up for his lack of bathing last night.

He was just glad that when he read the time, he had woken up an extra two hours before his shift at work would start.

Gives him plenty of time to clean up, get dressed as well as Heinz dressed and in a sense, ready for the day. He'll eat and if Seri's busy, feed the brunette his breakfast too, check him for any messes and by then, be ready to head out for work.

As he dressed, he stared at his arms briefly, recalling how it felt when Heinz held the limb, holding him in general. It felt so nice, wishing when he hugged him, he could feel the same as he does.

He really hopes he'll find the Shadow Queen, maybe she'll know how to fix him, help him regain feeling.

Maybe she'll even know how to restore his vocal cords? Strangely enough, he actually missed his voice from cursing him upon defeat to simply talking to him. Hell, he even misses the man's bad singing.

"What is wrong with me?" he whispered softly, not realizing he said this out loud, thankfully still in the bathroom.

Letting out a small sigh, he finished in there before getting the brunette properly woken up and ready.

This time however, he felt calmer with him, more willing to leave his sleeves rolled up if he needed to.

Seeing no hate or disgust over his weakness from his suicide attempt, he no longer felt any fear with the man.

If only he felt like this with the kids, with Seri, but felt it might be too much for them if he suddenly walked out in a T-shirt and they saw his arms.

The kids would freak out and worry over him, probably upset that he didn't tell them sooner or not understand completely why he hurt himself. Seri, she wouldn't understand, may not even believe him if he actually told her the truth.

There are so many secrets he's keeping now, secrets he thought he'd be done with by now, but more keep piling up.

Maybe one day he'll tell Phineas and the kids, when he feels they could handle such heavy news. He knows he has to someday tell them about the chances of finding their loved ones, ready them for possible heartbreak.

God he felt horrible about all this, why does he get such shitty luck?

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	26. Chapter 26

"Melody!" Phineas cried out, hugging the small girl, seeing as she ran straight into his arms, hugging him as tightly. "You brought her back!"

"She wasn't happy at the facility with the others," Seri explained with a smile as she walked in with a few bags of clothes.

"I really missed you, Phineas!" the small girl cried, face buried into his shirt as the others came running, having heard their friend's outburst.

It had been a few weeks when Seri had taken Melody away, telling them that she needed to be looked at by doctors.

Not only that, but she needed proper care by those who can handle her if she ever threw a tantrum. They needed to ensure she had perfect control over her vectors so she doesn't hurt people by accident as well as get her a real education.

Therefore seeing her back was quite a surprise to everyone when seeing the little girl hugging the redhead, the two crying with joy.

"Ferb!" she chirped, leaping out of the redhead's arms and into the green haired one's open arms. "I missed you too! I missed everyone here!"

"We missed you too," Isabella chimed in, getting hugged by the little girl before she practically tackled the other two boys down for a hug.

"Perry's going to be super excited to see you back, same with Candace and Jeremy," Phineas grinned mischievously. "We should let Mr. Doofenshmirtz know you're back too, I'm sure he missed you too."

"I wanna give him a big hug too!"

Before she knew it, she was picked up by Ferb and plopped onto his brother's back, the boy holding the biggest smile on his face the others ever saw.

Like that, they were up the stairs, the fellow inventor taking chase, sounds of excited laughter filling the house.

"They really have taken a shine to her," Seri laughed, she and Isabella going to a room Melody would get.

The other two boys went to follow after their male friends or do something else, maybe even call Perry and the teenagers about the girl's return.

One of the many perks having such a large house; it meant that there were many guest rooms to play with.

The kids sure loved it whenever they decided to use her house as a personal playground when it stormed outside rather badly, forcing them indoors.

"I think they see Melody as their sister, they sure treat her like one. I never seen them so happy before," the raven haired girl gigged softly. "Though I kinda wish that Phineas would give me a little of that attention too."

"I'm sure he'll come around, or you might just find someone even better," Seri comforted as they started putting clothes away, pausing to hug the girl.

She had managed to bond with her enough, reading her well to know about her crush on the redhead, so offered advice when she can.

She may not be her mother, but she'll be damned not to at least try and be there as a friend for her.

"I hope so, I _really_ do like Phineas a lot, but he can be pretty dense to the hints I give," she laughed nervously, "and I'm too scared to just tell him directly."

"I'm sure something will happen, it was rather interesting for Dennis and I when we realized how we felt for each other."

"Really?"

"Yeah, I can't tell you the details, it was rather frightening, but if it hadn't happened, we wouldn't have met. Even if we _had_ met, we may never have become friends, later falling in love and marrying. I only wish that we could've still gotten together, but without the trauma that's happened to him prior to our meeting."

"But at least he was happy, right?"

"Yes, he had been very happy…" she answered with a bitter smile, a few tears rolling down her cheeks.

She looked down with a small smile when feeling arms wrap around her, hugging her, seeing Isabella comforting her, a few tears trickling down her face.

"I'm sure he still is and he's happy that you're still alive and that you're so strong to keep going."

"I don't think I would've been this strong if I hadn't met you, Perry, and the rest when I lost Dennis. All of you have helped me stay strong, I couldn't ask for better friends," Seri laughed softly, hugging the girl, her tears stopping.

"You really love the work you do though, don't you?" the girl asked, slightly to change topics, but without being entirely rude, the woman understanding.

Talking about her late husband is still hard on her; she can only imagine how she and the boys are taking it whenever he's brought up.

"Of course, we all deserve to be equal, don't we?"

"Of course we deserve it, especially here in America where our founding fathers wanted everyone to be free and happy."

"That's exactly right. But until people see that as well, someone needs to be there for those girls and help them when they need it most."

"I promise I'll help Melody as best I can and I know Phineas, Ferb, all of us would help and protect her too."

"I'm glad to hear that, Isabella."

As the two girls talked more, changing the topic to more enjoyable ones for themselves, the trio had since landed into the scientist's room.

"Isn't it great that she's back?" Phineas laughed, Melody sitting on his lap, the small girl giggling away.

Heinz couldn't help but smile, knowing he must've been making the expression by how happy they became.

"Oh yeah, Ferb and I have been making some designs that could help make it easier for you to be taken care of. But we _kinda_ slacked off when Melody was taken," the boy explained, looking a bit ashamed of himself.

"What kind of designs?" the girl asked, unknowingly the same question the scientist wondered as well.

"Can you keep a secret?" he asked more towards the girl, the smile never leaving his face once.

"Phineas? Is it a good idea?" Ferb asked nervously, not wanting to doubt his brother, but knew Melody is young, she may slip up.

"Of course it is," he stated proudly, hugging the small girl before letting her go, more from his lap getting sore.

"I can keep a secret, I cross my heart and hope to die," she spoke up with determination burning in her eyes.

"Well, Ferb and I can build really cool stuff, so can Mr. Doofenshmirtz, Perry told us all about them, or as much as he wanted to tell us. I'm sure there's more stuff he made, but hasn't told us yet."

"You can make stuff?"

"Yeah, really amazing stuff too. You would've had a lot of fun if you were there, I know it. We made a rollercoaster, a laser that turned our bodies into rubber to bounce around, our own backyard beach, shrink rays, all sorts of stuff."

"Really?" she asked, eyes lighting up with innocent wonder.

"It's true," Ferb confirmed, "course most of the stuff we made ended up disappearing one way or another."

"At least it made cleaning up easier."

Heinz listened; amused by the boys telling the little girl, knowing they were putting a lot of faith into her.

Course, she is a smart girl too, he can see that and is positive that the boys could see it too if making such a risk.

"Can I help?"

"Sure, we were thinking about asking you, but we weren't sure, then Seri took you away for a while and we were at a loss."

"What can I do to help?"

"We're not sure just yet, we don't want you to get hurt or in trouble since we mostly thought of your vectors. They're really cool; I mean if Ferb and I had our own, we would've made so much more cool stuff. Or even done cool stuff with them alone than making stuff."

"You think my vectors are cool?"

"Yeah, they're so awesome. I know they're dangerous, but only if they're misused on purpose, and I guess accidental too," the redhead laughed nervously as he tried explaining to the girl.

"What he means is that your vectors, they're a gift to be admired and loved than being something feared and hated," Ferb explained calmly.

However he started chuckling when seeing the pouting look on his brother's face, the look priceless.

"I was getting there!"

"But it wasn't just making something to help Mr. Doofenshmirtz's care, but we were working on designs that might help communicating with him easier."

"Don't forget once we complete that, then the three of us can put our heads together to try and come up with something to get back home."

Heinz knew his eyes likely widened with mixed emotions, the three thankfully to engrossed in their conversations to catch it.

Perry still hasn't told them?

Guess it's understandable, the way Phineas acts, he may not take the news lightly.

He's got so much hope about going home, what is going to happen when the day comes they try to build something together?

How would the news be broken to that poor boy? To all the kids?

"Hey, maybe you should come with us, Melody? Mom and Dad would love you, I just know it," Phineas suggested suddenly.

Ferb and Heinz could only stare in shock, almost near horror of what the redhead had suggested, not sure if they heard right.

"Phineas what are you talking about?" the younger inventor almost shouted, "I love Melody as much as you do, I really do, but she may still have family here. Would it really be fair to take her away from that?"

"I know…but what if she doesn't have any that can be found? I don't want to leave her here with so many bad people trying to hurt her. Plus, she'll do so much better in Danville, growing up there with us. She won't be treated badly, she'll be safe, she'll be happy," Phineas added, his voice taking on a heavier tone.

Feeling small arms hugging him, he looked at the mop of pink hair and horns, making him smile a little.

"I'd love to go with you, it must be really nice where you live," Melody smiled, having complete faith and trust in the boys. "Will everyone go with you?" she suddenly asked, curiosity overwhelming her.

"Yeah, and if Perry's okay telling Seri about where we really are from, she can come with us too if she wants. Maybe if whatever we make to travel between here and back home is stable and doesn't disappear, we could use it to have more diclonii move into our world."

"Phineas…" the British boy whispered softly.

"None of you deserve to suffer; you deserve to live happy like the rest of us. If people in this world won't accept you, then I know for sure the people in our world would. We have all sorts of strange things go on from aliens visiting, animals apparently being secret agents, and other weird, but cool stuff. You guys would fit in perfectly!"

"R-really? A place we might be accepted?"

Nodding, he let out a startled yelp when she threw herself into his arms, tears of joy flowing down her face.

"That would be really nice. My mommy and daddy would love that, I know it. I wanna help make that true, please let me help."

"Sure, we're going to need all the help we can get when we need materials gathered. It's going to be hard though, definitely won't take a single day to accomplish it like before, right Ferb?"

The boy gave a smile, understanding his brother's intentions, knowing how huge a heart he has.

No words were needed at this point, taking note of the bedridden man's soft look, understanding as well.

However, there was one thing he was going to have to say that could raise a potential problem.

"What are we going to tell Perry? We really weren't supposed to tell anyone, regardless of trust."

"He'll understand, don't worry," the redhead grinned, his enthusiasm shining brightly. "Plus, he'd really like the idea too, not only of Melody helping, but coming home with us too."

_"__I sure hope so, kid,"_ Heinz muttered in his head.

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	27. Chapter 27

"You…you did what?" Perry gasped, staring at the redhead.

He couldn't decide to be horrified or livid with the boy, that he broke his promise not to share who they are with others. Yet at the same time, he couldn't blame him, especially with what he said next…

"I really trust Melody, she won't tell anyone, she promised," Phineas stated, his demeanor looking far better than it had in a long time. "With her help, we might be able to get what we need made so we can communicate with Mr. Doofenshmirtz _and_ build our own dimensional portal to get back home."

"I understand that, but you should've talked to me first about telling Melody about our capabilities. Trustworthy or not, she is a little kid, far younger than you guys, she could accidentally slip up with her words."

"I know that, but like I said, I really trust her, so please trust me."

"I do trust you…"

"Great, oh and guess what, Ferb and I started making some deigns again, even better ones since Melody came back. We've been taking into account with her vectors and how they could help us."

"Phineas…"

"I mean, this isn't our world, so getting materials won't be easy. We'd have to find other sources, like junkyards and such as well as a place to build it depending on the size. For Mr. Doofenshmirtz, we'll try to keep it small enough to fit through doors and such, so we'll try to use the basement. That or make a shed in the backyard if Seri is okay with it if she doesn't want the basement getting turned into a workshop."

"Phineas, I need to tell you something though…" the agent tried speaking up before the boy continued on.

"If you're wondering how Melody could help, I was thinking she could help carry some things we can't carry on our own. It'd have to be things she can pick up, it wouldn't be fair to make her carry something that's too heavy for her. But she could also help cut things up we need in proper size if we measure things out…"

"Phineas listen to me dammit!"

Instantly the boy froze in midsentence, even Ferb jumping, neither expecting him to raise his voice like that, at _them_ especially.

"Perry? What's wrong?" he asked nervously, shifting slightly on his feet as did the other boy.

"I'm sorry for that, but I needed your attention and you weren't listening," he sighed, seeing how upset the boys looked as he knelt down to face them.

"What do you need to tell us then?" the redhead asked warily, feeling his stomach knotting up, not liking the feeling at all.

"I don't know how to break it to you two…but I don't think we _can_ ever go home," Perry spoke, his voice heavy with guilt.

"Wh-what do you mean?"

"Perry, what's going on? What do you mean we can't go home?"

Biting his lower lip, he turned his head away, feeling bitter tears forming and chest tightening with guilt.

_"__Guess it's now or never,"_ he thought bitterly. "Remember all those nights when I'd wake up screaming?"

"I remember…"

"They…it relates to how I came to look like this."

"Someone hurt you?"

"I'm afraid so, and many others. There's someone really evil, far worse than what you could imagine. She and others just like her used inhumane methods to turn me into this. It was horrible and painful, where I thought it'd never end. Yet at the same time, I partially wished it didn't end after they finished changing me. It was there the nightmares really began."

"Did they do something to Danville?"

"Not just Danville, not just our world, but all worlds, our entire universe, our…our dimension," Perry spoke softly, hearing others coming towards them, not caring if Seri was among them or not. "The head scientist, she made some sort of bomb meant to destroy an entire realm, wipe it from existence, literally _make_ things cease to exist. I don't know how she did it, how it's even possible…"

"A…a bomb was used?"

He could see the horrified look on Phineas' face, looking ready to faint by how wide his eyes grew.

This was _exactly_ what he wanted to avoid, but he knew avoiding the subject any longer would be worse if it hasn't reached that point already.

"Our dimension was used as a testing sight for that horrible bomb, destroying everything. I didn't want to believe it, but I was forced too, learning other worlds were destroyed as well for this test. I thought I lost you boys, thought I lost everything I loved and fought for. I felt that I no longer had a reason to live."

"But if it's true…then how are _we_ alive?" Ferb asked, his whole body shaking horribly at what he heard, tears threatening to fall.

"I don't know, it's a miracle and I'm honestly praying that same miracle will happen again for your parents, for many people from our dimension."

"Why didn't you tell us sooner?" Phineas asked, shoulders shaking as he hung his head low, clinging to the front of his shirt.

"I was scared how'd you react, I didn't want to destroy your hope and I still don't want to destroy it. If we lived, then others had to have lived. You guys survived, I barely survived myself escaping those monsters, and look at Heinz, he may be injured, but he's alive too. Others had to have survived as well, they just had too."

"But…but what if Mom and Dad didn't? What's going to happen then?"

"I don't know…oh god Phineas, I'm so sorry for keeping this from you, from the others for so long," Perry sobbed, pulling the boy into his arms.

He expected the boy to pull away, but felt the trembling hands clinging to his shirt now than his own, crying loudly.

"Why did our world get picked? Why did any place have to be picked to be destroyed?" the redhead howled, ignoring the tears and snot covering his face, soaking the agent's shirt.

Ferb felt tears flowing down his face, practically throwing himself into the older man's arms, feeling the limb wrap around him.

He actually suspected it; he actually suspected something like this might've happened, why Perry acted so tense whenever home was talked about.

He wanted to be angry with him, but he couldn't, he understood why he kept it from them, his and Phineas' reactions are enough.

"Candace? What's going on?" Isabella asked worriedly, clinging to the teenager's hand, seeing how depressed she looked.

Turning to her with tear filled eyes, she explained what Perry had told her and Jeremy, the younger girl staring in horror at the words.

"It can't be true…" Baljeet cried softly, falling to his knees, hugging himself tightly as tears flowed down his face. "It can't be true; an entire dimension can't simply cease to exist. That's not possible, it isn't logical, even by _our_ standards."

Gripping his hair tightly, the boy letting out a frustrated scream, ignored by most, knowing what he was going through.

His sobs grew hysterical, pounding his fists into Buford's chest when he tried to comfort him, get him to stop yanking at his hair and hurting himself.

"It can't be true, it can't be!" the Indian boy screamed, wailing loudly into the bully's chest, not taking notice he too was crying.

"I don't want it to be true, but it is, I didn't have to see it myself. I saw it through the eyes of those who had witnessed their worlds destroyed, hearing it from _their_ cries," Perry sobbed softly, face buried into the redhead's hair.

"What kind of secret agent _are_ you then?" Baljeet shouted angrily, pulling out of the surprised bully's arms. "Aren't you supposed to protect us from bad things? Well? Aren't you?"

At this, Phineas pulled away, giving the boy a surprised look before shooting a glare, his own emotions starting to bubble over.

"Didn't you just hear Perry? He was held against his will, how could he help anyone if he couldn't even help himself? And there wasn't just science used, magic was used too! How could anyone fight against that?"

"Magic doesn't exist you naïve idiot!"

"It does, Perry witnessed it used on him when turned into a human!"

"Are you daft? He was a damn platypus at the time! He could have mistaken a laser for magic."

"You don't know that for sure!"

Before anyone could stop them, the two friends let out a scream, charging into one another, punching, kicking and yanking at each other's hair and clothes.

"Phineas! Baljeet! Stop it you two!" Candace shouted, trying to pry the two apart, shocked that either, her own brother especially would fight like this. "Perry! Jeremy! Give me a hand here!"

The two ran over, the elder of the two forcing Ferb to let go of him, managing to pry the two boys apart. In the process of separating them, they were getting kicked and screamed at by the two hysterical boys.

"What point is there living a lie if our families are dead?" Baljeet screamed as he continued thrashing in the blonde's arms, a few bruises forming on his frame.

"What's going on?" Seri asked frantically.

She came running in, Melody at her side, both hearing the screaming and what sounded like fighting.

Both stared in shock as they witnessed the two children thrashing and lashing out so violently, shouting at one another.

"What the hell is happening here?" the woman asked, feeling the small girl clinging to her leg, trembling. "Stop this right now, you're scaring Melody!"

"Not now Seri, I'll explain it after I calm them down," Perry answered, raising his voice in order to be heard over the shouting.

With a bit of struggling he carried the redhead to his room, Jeremy carrying Baljeet back to his room to let them both calm down.

"Phineas, why did you attack him like that? Baljeet's your friend."

"He was blaming you, it wasn't fair!"

"That doesn't make it right attacking like that, you could've seriously hurt each other," the agent scolded, holding the redhead by the shoulders.

"I don't care!"

"Listen to me, think about how he's feeling right now, what he's learned now."

"But Perry…"

"Listen to me," he repeated, "despite all the years, he's only just beginning to learn more about who I really am. He only knew me as a mindless pet, not a secret agent, not even saw me as a member of your family, just a pet. Yes, he loved me, but not the way you and Ferb do."

"But we didn't know you were an agent either."

"I know, and the first time you learned when we were dealing with the second dimension, you were angry with me."

"I…I was?"

"Yes, you almost wanted nothing to do with me anymore because I kept that from you. But somehow you found the heart not only to love and forgive me, but save me when I needed it, help me save the Tri-State Area, the world even."

"But he was really angry at you."

"He is angry, and I don't blame him for picking me to vent his frustration at, in some ways, he _is_ right. I'm an agent, I was one at least…I should've been able to find a way to escape, to save our dimension. But I didn't, I was too weak, too scared to do anything about it."

"But you couldn't do anything about it though, not if they restrained you, not if they were doing bad surgeries to you. And you didn't know what they did to our world only afterwards."

"And I'm sure Baljeet knows this too, but he's angry and hurting as you are, as I'm sure the others are."

Looking at the floor, the redhead gave it a frown, knowing the other was right, tears beginning to form.

"I don't know why I attacked him…"

"Phineas, I want you to stay here for a bit, you hear me?"

"But…"

"No buts, I know I'm not your father, but I'm still responsible for you. I'll be damned if I let you act like this, let you risk hurting your friends and family."

Giving a defeated look, the redhead sat on his bed, drawing his knees up, tears flowing down his face as he cried softly.

"When I get back here later, I expect you to have thought about what you did and be ready to apologize to Baljeet. Do you I make myself clear?"

Seeing the boy nodding, Perry gave him a sad look as he left the room, shutting the door behind him.

As he started walking down the hallway, he spotted Jeremy coming out of the other boy's room, looking sad as well.

"How's he doing?"

"Told him to stay in his room, figured you'd want to talk to him," the blonde sighed as he rubbed his arm. "For such a small kid, didn't think he'd pack such a punch, and a mean kick."

"Want to have yourself looked at?"

"I think I'll be okay, just smarts, don't think anything broke. Not to make fun of Baljeet, but while it hurt, he's not very strong."

"You sure?"

"Yeah, go and talk to Baljeet, okay? I think he really needs it despite what he may say otherwise."

"I will," Perry sighed as he scratched his head, "think you can go see how the others are doing? I'm sure they're freaking out over what's happened."

"Just wish Melody didn't have to see that," the blonde sighed sadly, the other giving a sad look too.

"I know," he sighed, "I'll try to talk to her when I'm done with Baljeet about what happened. I just hope the fight hasn't traumatized her severely."

"I hope so too."

"Oh, and Jeremy?"

"Yeah?"

"Be sure to tell Ferb and the others that they, especially Ferb, can't talk to Phineas for a while. He's to stay in his room much like Baljeet, okay?"

"No problem."

"Thanks."

With that, Perry went to the smaller boy's bedroom door, knocking lightly on the surface, the blonde already gone to try and see what the situation is with the rest.

"Go away!"

"Baljeet, I'm coming in."

"Screw you!"

Ignoring the boy's snappy attitude, he walked in, shutting the door behind him, leaning his back against it.

"Get out!" the boy shouted angrily.

Immediately he threw a pencil cup at the agent, the other ignoring how it hit his chest, not that it hurt in the first place.

"I want to talk to you, okay? Just hear me out."

"No, I hate you! If you were the agent you told us, you would've stopped those bombs going off! You would've made it where we didn't land here, having us live in a lie, letting us believe we'll go home."

"You don't hate me, I know you to well, Baljeet. But I know how upset you are though, why you feel like this."

Slowly, he walked over, sitting on the edge of the bed, watching as the small boy sat as far from him, knees drawn up, angry tears flowing from his eyes.

"But you are right, I _am_ a horrible agent. Phineas made good points, but you are right for the most part," he sighed, elbows resting on his knees, hands covering his face.

"What?" the boy gasped, surprised of seeing the man look so defeated.

"I never meant to lie, make you believe in false hope. I really do want you kids to build some sort of dimensional transporter still. Only instead of using it to get us home, not if there's a chance there's nothing to go back to, I had a different purpose."

"What was it then?" the boy half spat, clearly intrigued, but tried to remain angry at the agent.

"There's someone I heard about, someone I'm looking for who may be able to help us and give us answers."

"Who is it?"

"I don't know really, her name was never used, just a title she either earned or was given by those monsters and other prisoners. They called her the Shadow Queen, those who talked about her held hope. They believed that she would stop them from hurting more innocent people, stop them from killing and destroying more lives."

"So you were using us to _help_ us?" Baljeet nervously asked, his anger beginning to dissipate further as he listened.

"Not entirely, I want all of us to be happy; I'm praying that our families are lucky, that we can return to them."

As he listened, the boy slowly crawled over, his actions similar to how they first met, the boy afraid of him as was he, both being so little.

A small yelp escaped the boy when he was pulled in close, finding himself in the agent's strong arms, sitting on his lap as the brothers normally seated themselves.

It reminded him of his father holding him whenever he'd get scared, be it a bad dream or a scary storm when he was very young, even as he got older.

Burying his face into the other's chest, he cried loudly, letting out all his fears and stress much like the redhead had done.

"I'm sorry I said I hated you," the young boy sniffled after crying for a good while, eyes red and puffy.

"It's okay," the agent comforted as he hugged him tighter, ready to let him go so he can crawl into his bed, looking ready to fall asleep. "I want you to stay here, make sure you've cooled off. Afterwards I want you to apologize to Phineas, okay?"

"I didn't meant to fight with Phineas," he sobbed softly, burying his face into his pillow, the other rubbing his back a bit before eventually leaving.

"I know you didn't."

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	28. Chapter 28

When arriving back in the living room, he nearly jumped when Seri stood there, a visible frown on her face, no one else in sight.

"They told you?" he asked, knowing they must have.

"Who _are_ you really?" she asked, her voice wavering, unsure if she was afraid or angry with him. "_What_ are you?"

"My name _is_ Perry, that's for sure," he half joked, though no laugh or humor danced on those words. "As for what I am, I honestly don't know at this point. I don't know whether to consider myself human or platypus."

"How could you lie to me?"

"I'm surprised you actually believe us," he spoke softly, not realizing she heard him, making her grow more frustrated.

"I don't _want_ to believe it, but Ferb showed me what they've been designing to help Heinz not only being taken care of easier, but actually communicate. I'm no engineer, I'll admit that much. But the math calculated? The designs they made? They were amazing; perfect I'm positive if taken to a real engineer."

"That's how my boys are; they do the unthinkable, turning imagination into reality one way or another."

"But why did you hide it from me? Hide it from Dennis?"

"Would you honestly believe us if I _had_ told you the truth?"

The woman faltered, realization dawning on her through her own frustration, "No, I suppose I wouldn't. At least not at first, not until I saw proof."

"Exactly, those boys are the key to getting us out of here. We don't belong here, _they_ don't belong here, having their innocence tainted more and more each day."

"And what would you do then? Just up and leave?" she asked, her voice raising in volume, hands clenching.

"I don't know. I wanted to avoid connecting with people outside our group… I wanted to avoid hurting you, hurting anyone more than I had with those kids. But then you and Dennis came into our lives."

"But everything you've told me, told Dennis, it was all a lie though, about how you came to town? What you said about their families, all of it was a lie."

"I didn't completely lie, where we lived originally, it literally was like a slice of heaven. There was almost no crime; at least nothing like serious robberies or home invasions. The most I dealt with was Heinz when he and I were enemies."

"So he isn't your friend then?"

"Not exactly, we're more as he'd call it _"frenemies"_ if anything."

"What?"

"While we fought, I foiling his plans take over our hometown; we would be rather civil with one another. When I was first assigned, yeah, he tried to kill me, but I never really tried hurting him. If anything, I saved his ass just about every time I went to his lab or wherever. And as we got to know each other, he stopped really trying to kill me."

"Doesn't sound like he's malicious enough to take another life."

"Not intentionally at least, he's made a few inventions that could've hurt a lot of people, whether he really knew it or not. That's why I was assigned to stop him at the time, as any agent like myself are assigned with our own evil genius to grapple with. Some are relatively harmless like Heinz, others are far more threatening, but those people are rare to find. They're usually caught before any real harm is done and thrown straight into jail for however long is necessary."

"But how does it really show you two had forged some sort of friendship, or acquaintanceship at least?"

"Times I've gone to thwart him, finding he wasn't up to anything really evil, I'd either be ready to leave, or get roped into helping him. Whether it was to help him kick a kickball, don't ask, or setting up his daughter's birthday party. Even times where I've thwarted him successfully, I find myself sometimes helping him in the very end. Nothing bad, just little things, like not looking like a total ass in front of his kid and her friends or giving him some comfort if he has a bad date."

"Sounds like a very strange relationship between you two."

"It is, but it's _ours_, something special we had where at some point, we simply couldn't function without each other."

"Really?"

"Yeah, it's strange; it was like we forged some unbreakable bond, very much like the one I forged with the boys. One time I had been reassigned, not only taken to a new family, forced to abandon the family I've been with for almost five years, but Heinz as well. He had been given a new nemesis as well as a gift basket to explain his threat level dropping and my reassignment and new nemesis."

"It must've been hard on all of you."

"It was, it really was. I found out my boys were searching for me all over, even writing and performing a wonderful song to bring me home."

"A song?"

"I love music, especially theirs; Phineas knew that very well and believed it would've brought me home if I heard it."

At that, the woman couldn't help but give a small smile, seeing how much the teal haired man loved his family, seeing a few tears falling from his eyes.

"But it wasn't just losing them that tore me up, but I couldn't function like I normally would when I actually had been sent to foil my assigned nemesis. Because if it, I must've faltered and ended up getting captured, and worse, this one, unlike Heinz, he was truly evil. He was going to kill me on the spot, making a perfect trap to keep me from escaping."

"It must've been terrifying."

"It was, I thought I was going to die, but Heinz actually came to my rescue."

"He did what?"

"He saved me, I know, evil genius saving his ex-nemesis, not exactly something you hear every day, even my fellow agents and boss were rather surprised. But I later learned that he came to get me because like me, he couldn't function either since we became nemeses. It was like another time he tried replacing me with an agent from Seattle, I was ready to quit and Heinz realized his mistake and begged me to come back."

He explained more about his world, finding the woman was more understanding, at least now she is after seeing the blueprints the boys have been working on.

Before long, he told her about how they ended up in this world, what the kids told him and his own experience, the woman feeling awful at the hell they all went through.

"I'm sorry for not telling you sooner…"

"I can understand better why you kept it a secret for so long, not just from me, but the fate of your dimension from the kids. You put so much weight on yourself though…"

"Wasn't like I had much of a choice."

"I guess so…"

"Perry…what you said about how you got to look like this…is there any chance Dennis could've been a captive too? It'd explain so much about him, about his nightmares and lack of history prior to meeting him."

The teal haired agent was silent, gripping his hands together tightly to the point the knuckles turned white, his mouth a thin line.

Should he tell her who Dennis really is? Who he really was? Or should he simply lie for the other's sake.

"Perry, please, whatever he did before, I don't care, I just want to know."

Realizing he's been caught, he gave a small sigh, telling her about her late husband, seeing her eyes widen in surprise.

However, he quickly explained that the rabbit he fought so long ago wasn't the same, not just physical appearance, but the way his demeanor had changed.

"So I married a rabbit? That explains why he loved carrots so much," she laughed, appearing not hurt by the news as much as the other feared. "But as you said, the Dennis you fought wasn't the same Dennis I met, I comforted, I fell for and married."

"You helped him redeem himself, find a purpose in his life before and after he regained his memories."

"I'm just glad to know he was able to make such a good friend with you, share things he was scared sharing with me."

"I can see why he loved you so much, you're very understanding. I was afraid of you freaking out, thinking I was nuts, that I made everyone nuts around me. I feared you would have had me locked up, take the kids away, take Heinz away from my life. I was afraid of you hating me if I let it slip about Dennis, especially since he isn't here to back me up or not."

"When I was a little girl, I always dreamed of encountering fairies, meeting wizards and knights who would save people. I dreamed of being among them, to help people and save them."

"In some ways, you are, the helping part at least."

"Yes, but to think in some ways, that dream could've become true, but turned into a nightmare instead."

"I know… Seri?"

"What is it, Perry?"

"I know this is sudden, but I'm still determined getting the kids out of this world. We'll be searching for someone who might be able to help us, give us answers we want and need. I also plan on taking Heinz and if she's willing, Melody as well. But I need someone with medical skills who can help take care of Heinz in case he has a problem."

"Are you…are you asking me to _leave_ my world? To go with you?"

"I know it's a lot to ask, but you're probably the only one I can trust here. I don't think I can get lucky meeting such an amazing person as you to help us, understand us, care for us as much as you have."

"I don't know…my work, the work I did with Dennis, I don't want to throw it away, abandon those girls."

"I know that, but I'm scared about trying to bring Heinz along without proper medical knowledge. I only know so much as does Isabella due to her Fireside Girl patches and whatnot. But I also don't want to leave him here alone, afraid that if I leave, I may not be able to get back and get him again."

"I need to think about it, it's a lot to think about."

"I know, just promise me you won't say a word about this to anyone. I can't risk being seen crazy, risk losing my family, losing their friends, _my_ friends."

"Of course, I don't want to do anything to hurt you," she reassured, hugging the teal haired man.

"Th-thank you, thank you so much," he sobbed, relief filling him as he rested his head against her shoulder. "I'm so sick of secrets."

"I don't blame you," she half laughed as they pulled away, "how are the boys doing? Baljeet and Phineas I mean."

"They're in their rooms to think about their fight, but I talked with both of them about their actions, mostly Phineas'. I just hope they actually forgive each other and stay friends. They've been through so much, I don't want to see my screw up not saying anything sooner ending their wonderful years together."

"If they love each other as much as they love everyone else, as much as they love you, I think they will stay friends," the woman reassured. "Friends are known to fight, the closer you are, the more you may dispute over things. But in the end, you forgive and laugh it off, making your friendship even stronger than ever."

"I hope so."

"It will, I'm sure of it."

"Thanks Seri," Perry smiled bitterly before starting to get up, "where are the others by the way? I want to try talking to them, make sure that they're doing okay, Melody especially."

"They're in one of the spare bedrooms," she spoke as she lead him where the others were gathered.

As she walked him, she honestly still couldn't believe what she heard, yet she was seeing proof. It explained why some of them had such unusual hair colors but no horns as they should have if actual diclonii.

Not only that, the blueprints, they really were ingenious, knowing if she gave the boys a chance to put them to use, those designs would work. She wouldn't be all that surprised if they could rebuild one of their earlier designs perfectly to show as proof too.

But learning that Perry had actually been a platypus, she almost wanted to laugh at the idea, yet seeing how serious he looked, knew it was true. He wasn't a man to make such a joke, especially if it meant hurting the kids, he loves them too much.

Then there's Candace and Jeremy, they're far older, they would've saw through him if they didn't believe his words. They would've done something sooner than simply going along for the ride, endangering themselves and the kids.

Arriving at the door, the woman opened it, seeing the group sitting together, Melody sitting in Candace's arms, sniffling a little.

Walking in, Perry wasn't surprised when Ferb ran into his arms, clinging to his waist, face buried into his stomach and chest.

"She knows everything now?" Jeremy asked after a few minutes of silence passed, the older man trying to settle the shaking boy.

"Yes, I know everything, and to be honest, I'm still having some trouble believing it," Seri admitted with a small laugh.

"We're so sorry for keeping this from you and Dennis."

"That's another thing, Dennis sort of already knew," Perry half laughed, feeling eyes drawn onto him now. "Remember your pet rabbit, Candace?"

"Mr. Cutiepatootie?"

"Yup."

"Wait…are you saying that Dennis was my pet bunny?"

"Yup, but he was a bad guy at the time. Those people who took him away at the pier, they were my boss and his intern."

"Somehow, that doesn't surprise me," Candace groaned softly, resting her head in the small girl's hair, ignoring the horn poking her forehead.

"Perry?" Melody's small voice called out softly, wriggling out of the teenager's arms, hopping on the ground.

"What is it, sweetie?" he asked, kneeling down after pulling Ferb away enough to do so, letting him resume clinging.

He was surprised when she ran into his arms, crying softly into him, letting him gently pat her back, shushing her.

"Is…is it true? Is your home gone?" she hiccupped, her voice filled with sorrow.

"I'm afraid so, if I had known Phineas would've gotten your hopes up like that, I would've spoken with him sooner. I'm sorry for putting you through this, Melody."

"But what's going to happen to you though?"

"I still plan on getting us out of here, including you," he stated, the others staring in shock of those words. "Ferb, once Phineas and Baljeet have made up, think you and Phineas can try to get to work on your designs some more? I'll do what I can to help with ideas if you're stumped. If anything, maybe one of Heinz's past inators might be of use, I remember them enough to be of use and I'm sure he won't mind."

The boy nodded, relieving the man by the familiar spark starting to return to his eyes, somehow feeling the others would, particularly a redheaded boy.

"How are you going to get us out of here though?" Buford asked warily.

"First we need to know what happened with Heinz and find out how he got into this world. It looks like he might be the closest thing we have to a key getting out of this dimension safely."

"Well, he _is_ a scientist, you told us that," Isabella chimed in as the agent sat down, letting the two practically crawl all over him to get comfortable.

"Exactly, he also once build a device to traverse to other dimensions. I know his memory was wiped, but I doubt it was completely wiped. He might have a memory about coming up with the idea, but never got around to doing it again afterwards."

"So you're thinking he could help rebuild it?"

"Yeah, but he couldn't do it alone, he needed Phineas and Ferb's help to get it working, but we'd have to redesign it entirely though. I'm afraid we can't risk leaving it behind if we go through. We can't risk someone finding it and fiddling with it, causing unnecessary harm to this world or to themselves."

"That makes sense," Seri spoke up, almost startling the group by her words. "So you're thinking of making something more compact to make taking it with you easier."

"Exactly, and we'll have to design it to take in different energy sources so it's easier to recharge if necessary."

"I could work on batteries that recharge on solar, thermal, as well as electrical," Ferb offered, giving the older man a confident look.

"That'd be great, if I knew more about this whole reiatsu thing, I'd suggest making something to tap into that."

"What is it though?" the boy asked.

"If I remember right, I was told it was basically spiritual energy. I don't know if everyone has it or what it is exactly, but yeah, that's what it is."

"I don't know if Phineas and I could design a battery to do that, but the others we can surely make."

"I figured as much," Perry smiled, nuzzling his face into the boy's hair.

"What about Mr. Doofenshmirtz though?"

"We'll need to design a wheelchair or a portal bed that can carry him easily. If possible, have it need the same kind of power source the dimension transport will need to make charging it _hopefully_ easier."

"Don't forget a communicator so he can _actually_ speak with us than blinks alone," Candace added with a smile.

She could everyone starting to get into this type of talk more and more, even Seri getting into it.

"Of course, thinking that could be hooked into whatever chair or bed is made."

"Knowing Phineas, he'd want to do a two in one deal for Mr. Doofenshmirtz," Isabella laughed, making the others smile.

"You're absolutely right."

* * *

_**Please read and review**_


	29. Chapter 29

It felt like a complete dream, yet Perry couldn't help but feel comfortable with it as time passed on, watching everyone relaxing more and more.

While secrets were still kept from the rest of the world, they no longer had any they felt was worth hiding around each other, namely Seri and Melody.

Sure, he still kept his suicide attempt hidden from the kids, but that was mostly because he didn't need them panic. He knew they would find out and oddly, he wasn't feeling as panicking as before.

He remembered asking Seri about that when she asked him if Phineas and the kids knew about his scars.

She told him that it might be because he's feeling safer and the fact he feels no need to end his life. He has his family, friends even, knowing they're safe, he has no reason to try ending his life anytime soon.

Others who are still missing, they're important to him, yes, but at the same time, he's being realistic about the situation.

Those he knew are held captive like Peter, he mourns and prays that he isn't suffering, that he's resting peacefully, either in safe arms or beyond the grave.

As for Monogram and other agents, they're strong and smart in their own individual rights. If there is a chance that they survived and evaded capture, they're likely doing all they can to reunite with loved ones and locate all their missing agents.

Somehow, that thought put the agent at better ease, his head beginning to clear up, stress washing away each passing day.

He could openly share about his life much like he did with Phineas and the others, sharing as much as he could with Seri and Melody when asked.

The child especially loved hearing his tales as an agent, especially before bed.

It seemed fitting, telling her a bedtime story, a new adventure with laughs and thwarting. Best part, there was always a happy ending of coming home and even the _"bad guy"_ getting somewhat a happy ending.

Thinking about the boys and their friends, now free to vent their designs and to help keep their heads clear on their main goal, did side projects.

They helped fix things that needed it, even if it meant a complete remodel of certain gadgets around the house from the vacuum cleaner to the dishwasher.

They even began writing songs again as well as rework on past ones to have fun with. Only song they had trouble with was the aglet one, but he reminded them, telling them how they forgot.

To say the least, it was funny, more so as Candace recalled that ridiculous video, but was mindful enough not to embarrass Heinz with mentioning it.

But somehow, they pulled it off with remaking the song perfectly, the kids doing some chores to save enough and buy instruments to play with to pass time.

It was so much fun, being dragged in to sing along with the girls, Melody having a blast as she'd try to sing along, messing up, but smiling the whole time.

They even sang a few songs at school, somehow gaining some popularity from talent shows or helping with a fundraiser for shelters.

Who would've known things would've exploded with such positivity, making the kids feel like things were normal again?

Yes, they still feared not finding loved ones, yet they somehow still held some hope that something positive may happen for themselves and others.

Since their fight, Baljeet and Phineas evaded one another for a while, the whole thing raw, but had since apologized to one another.

Both knew they were upset, stress getting to them and letting it control them.

It would take some time before things really patched up between them and they could go back to hanging out as they always had done.

Thankfully Ferb was just about always by the redhead's side, so he could act as messenger if he had to send something to or from his brother and friend.

Kind of funny, the boy is almost always quiet, yet he's made into an errand boy which usually requires communication quite often.

Though if he couldn't for some reason, Isabella was always first to volunteer and lend a hand. Even Melody wanted to be of some help by how she'd bounce around and follow everyone about the house. Sometimes she would follow them outdoors, dressed in a simple disguise to hide her horns.

Because of it though, the brothers were able to freely work on different designs relating to their main project.

They made dozens of ideas for its appearance, trying to find something good that would appeal to the bedridden man.

It was silly that they focused on appearance first, but they were geniuses too, whatever design they use, they'll be able to work with it to ensure it functions.

Even Perry helped them out, having some engineering skills himself between watching the boys, his training, and of course, his missions.

He even allowed them to hang around with him and Heinz in their room, sharing their ideas, getting some input from the brunette through blinks and smiles.

While they worked away on that, Baljeet put his own talents to the test by studying up different energy sources that would be easiest gaining access to.

As he did that, the brothers would work on designs for the potential batteries they would ultimately need.

Seeing how diligently they worked, Heinz was simply amazed, having never thought he'd see such prodigies before his very eyes.

It was like watching himself as a child, tinkering with machines or drawing his own blueprints. Only instead of doing it out of sorrow or bitterness, they did it out of sheer joy and a love for helping.

He couldn't help but ponder if he would've been like them if he had their lives or at least kept the redhead's enthusiasm for a brighter day.

His thoughts were broken when a new design was put into his vision, familiar hands holding it up, the owner bearing a hopeful smile.

"What do you think, Mr. Doofenshmirtz? Pretty sweet designs, huh?" Phineas chirped happily.

He showed the older man the schematics, careful they weren't too close, but close enough so he could see the measurements clearly.

"We'll make a separate remote to make shifting it into a bed easier, especially when it's time to sleep. That way you won't be stuck in a chair all the time and be able to sleep comfortably."

"It'll also have some sensors attached to help us as much as you," Ferb added calmly. "Right now we're focusing on how they'll work to inform us in case you were to have an accident, fall asleep or fell out the chair at a given point. But most importantly, if the batteries start running low, it'll let us know so we can switch them out with fresh ones so they can charge up."

_"__I _really_ wish I didn't _have_ to deal with accidents,"_ the brunette grumbled in his thoughts, hoping he wasn't making a sour face when that part was mentioned.

"I'm sure whoever this Shadow Queen that Perry's been searching for, she'll fix you up then you won't be like this anymore. If not, I'm sure Ferb and I can figure out a way, even if we have to take up medicine to accomplish it," the boy reassured, setting the papers down as he hugged the man.

_"__He really is a sweet kid,"_ Heinz chuckled in his thoughts, managing to lift his arm to return the hug.

More and more he's getting used to moving his numbed limbs, but there was no way he could ever walk. It was too risky, he could break something and he wouldn't feel it, the others not knowing unless it's visible or too late.

But seeing how far the boys are going, he wondered if maybe they could design an exoskeleton to fit under his clothes so he _could_ walk again.

They certainly are capable of doing something like that, he's positive of it based on the blue prints and mechanics behind it. It'll simply be more on how it'd even work since he can't feel anything, it would have to function solely on his mind than nerves.

If actually made, it would have to be carefully hooked into his brain, either hiring a private surgeon to do it, or some other means that requires no surgery at all.

Once they find a way to communicate he could suggest it as a later project, where they could get the main part designed, then work on how it could operate.

It would be nice to walk around than being stuck either in a bed or pushed around in a wheelchair when brought outside.

He honestly missed the smell of saltwater at beaches, or the fresh soil in forests, even working his hands raw on different inators.

Even if he can't feel anything, if he's able to comfortably walk and move around, he would live with that, adjust to it as a new life.

Days later, the final blue prints were set, things just about ready, now all they needed were materials.

"Alright, thanks to Baljeet looking up on known energy sources that we'd recognize from _our_ Danville, we can make the batteries," the redhead grinned happily, patting the boy on the back.

"So what kind can we use?" Isabella asked, glad to see how happy her crush has become since getting the news.

"We can use thermal, solar, wind, electrical, and after some tinkering on our part, hydroelectric as well."

"Hydro what's it?" Buford mumbled, half paying attention, ready to do the grunt work than actually learn something.

"We can use water silly. If we're ever in a forest or some place with running water, we can use it to charge Mr. Doofenshmirtz's ride. Ferb and I designed this so that it'll match a watermill to charge the batteries. And with Baljeet's idea, we're going to design a portable pack so we can carry extras we'll make. They'll have sensors attached in case they lose charge if we needed to switch them out suddenly. Can't recharge the same set over and over without ruining them, right?"

"That is correct," the Indian boy stated with a smile.

"How big are they going to be?" Isabella asked when looking at the designs.

"Well for the portable chair bed, _***1**_ we need rather large batteries to carry all that needed power. After coming up with a few designs and Baljeet reading up on some materials we can use to fill them with, they'll be lightweight. If we're lucky, they'll weigh at least two pounds at max separately. Wouldn't make sense to make it heavier than it should be between it and Mr. Doofenshmirtz himself?"

"You boys are geniuses," Seri commented as she looked them over, using other notes she gathered to ensure they were correct. "It's a shame that you can't stay here to share your ingenious ideas with the world."

"We'd love to stay, at least to make sure more diclonii are safe, but we need to find the Shadow Queen and see if she knows where our families are. If there's a chance they're alive, we need to know. But I'm sure if we asked her nicely, she might come here to help them any way she can."

"It isn't just that," she sighed, petting Phineas' head gently, getting a confused look from him. "Now seeing what you are capable of, its best you _did_ leave this world and not come back."

"What do you mean?"

"People could misuse your talents and make you do bad things. I don't want to see you endure something like that," she spoke, seeing the looks on the older members, clearly understanding what she meant.

"I guess that's true…" Phineas whispered softly, feeling his brother wrap his arm around his shoulders, letting him lean his head against his chest.

"Don't worry; you guys are _way_ too innocent and _far_ too smart to get duped like that. And if there _was_ a chance, you'll be sure Candace and I will be there to stop it somehow," Perry reassured, ruffling the boy's hair with a smile.

"Thanks," the boy grinned.

"So what kind of materials are you looking for?" Seri asked as she watched and listened to them explain more of what they were planning to build.

"Well, there's a chance we'll need a welder's torch and masks for protection. Oh and gloves too, can't forget those," the redhead started as Ferb began writing down what they would need.

"I don't know if we can buy most of this stuff, but we might be able to find them in junkyards if we're careful," the woman muttered softly when the list of actual materials came up.

"I was thinking the same thing, and Melody can help using her vectors if they're too big to carry on our own."

"So long as they aren't too heavy for her to carry," the woman chided gently.

"Of course, she won't be made to carry _everything_, that wouldn't be fair to her or us. What I was thinking more was that she could help carry things we don't have room to carry to save time. You know, small stuff like we ran out of room to carry in our arms to the cars, or at least leave them in a safe pile if we had to make more than one trip."

"Plus if there are things that are heavier, she could help at least give support with her vectors. Or simply cut them down if they're too big, but needed regardless," Ferb added as he petted the small girl's hair.

"I'll do my best!" Melody proclaimed, pumping her fists, determination shining just as brightly as they had the day she was asked to help.

"Just make sure that if Ferb and I are using the torches or even Perry, not to go near us, okay?"

"They make fire and fire hurts," she spoke, getting stares by the others. "Mommy told me that when Daddy accidentally burned himself on a candle."

"Yeah, fire can be bad if you're not careful," Perry laughed nervously.

"Yup, which is why Ferb and I always make sure we have safety gear just in case," Phineas proclaimed happily, puffing his chest up.

"And yet you two _always_ forget about keeping a fire extinguisher nearby in case a fire broke out," Isabella teased, making both boys flush.

"There was one indoors we could get if that happened!" the redhead pouted as his sibling quietly copied him.

Giggling away, Melody watched them before suddenly gripping her head, crying out in pain.

"Melody?" Buford questioned, clearly worried when he put a hesitant hand on her shoulder, recoiling when she let out a scream.

"Melody!" Candace cried out, wrapping her arms around the now crying girl.

"I…I saw something…" she sniffled, face buried into the teenager's chest. "She said…she said to run, that a bad man is coming."

"What do you mean? Who's coming? What did you see?" Seri asked, clearly worried with what happened.

"I…I don't know, she was melting, I don't know. It was like she didn't know what _she_ looked like. But she had no legs… She said she found what she was made to find, but found me too. She doesn't want us to get hurt, she wants us to run!" the pink haired child wailed loudly.

"Oh Allah, no…"

Before the others could ask, she was already running to the nearest phone, picking it up, cursing in her native tongue when finding the line was dead.

"What's going on?" Perry asked, grabbing the frantic woman's shoulders.

"A diclinous made contact with her, warning her!" she shouted, "Perry, get the children upstairs and in Heinz's room and barricade the door."

"I'm not leaving you alone, let me help," he stated, giving the teenagers a look, "you heard her, get them upstairs."

"Perry…" Phineas started before grabbed by Jeremy, forcing him and the others to follow, Melody carried as she continued to cry.

"Dammit, why isn't this thing working!" the agent snarled when he tried his cellphone, finding no bars.

"Someone must be blocking the signal, but who could do something like this?" the woman shuddered heavily. "I've never heard of anyone doing something like this before. I haven't even heard of anyone using a diclinous as a tracker, not since the events with Lucy…"

"Think it might be some done by the government? You know, searching for viable diclonii for tests or something?"

"I don't think so…you heard what Melody said. Whoever is coming, they aren't after her, but something else."

"Shit…" Perry cursed, realizing what she meant, getting a bad feeling of what those words may very well mean.

"Perry…"

A knock on the door made the two freeze up, staring at it, the woman unknowingly clinging to the agent.

"Let me answer it," he whispered, pushing her behind him. "If they pull anything, run and hide."

"Wait," she nearly shouted, grabbing his arm, stopping him.

He stared at her as she went over to the kitchen quickly, grabbing a knife, handing it to him while holding her own, having him understand.

"Thanks," he whispered as he went to the door, peeking out the peephole.

He looked behind himself, seeing the woman standing by the wall, peeking around the corner, trying to keep as hidden as possible.

With a gentle wave, he made her hide completely, his heart pounding hard in his chest as he stared at the man on the other side.

He wanted to ask, but prayed that maybe he'll go away, thinking they're not home at the moment.

Neither of their cars was parked in the driveway; both in the garage, plus the windows are frosted over for security reasons.

God was Dennis a genius when asked about the garage windows…

"I know you're in there, a little elf told me so," the man chuckled darkly, "hand over Experiment 336 and I'll let you live."

Recalling the documents, remembering that was the name used for Heinz, Perry felt a horrible chill tear through him, gripping the knife tightly.

_"__Oh god, they…they found us,"_ he shuddered in his thoughts, his whole body shaking, sweat coating his brow.

"I suggest you open the door, it's a real nice door, pretty damn expensive I'm sure," the man taunted as he gave it a light tap.

The agent felt his body shake harder as he felt the whole thing rattle, knowing it'd be impossible less someone was ramming it.

The door, once more out of security from their work, Dennis had the door appear made of oak, but also steel. It wouldn't stop a diclinous if they used their vectors, but it'd stop potential burglars and such from breaking in.

That fact alone showed how strong the person on the other side is, his terror for the children, for Seri, Heinz, even for himself increasing more and more.

He had to get them all out of here now!

Slowly backing from the door, careful not to make a sound, not to trip or bump into anything, he made his way back to the woman.

"What's going on?" she whispered softly, seeing how sick the other looked, his entire figure shaking.

"We need to get the _fuck_ out of here now," he half whimpered, trying not to blink to long despite sweat stinging his eyes.

"Who _is_ that man?"

"I don't know, but he isn't human, or not anymore, I don't know."

"What do you mean?"

"Remember what I told you, how I came to look like this?"

"Oh god, is he one of _those_ people?"

"Yeah, he knows about Heinz somehow, saying an elf found him."

"He must have that diclinous that connected with Melody."

"We have to get the kids out of here, get Heinz out of here."

"Where do we go though? Especially if he's using that girl to track us?"

"I…I don't know…get them to your friends to hide somehow. Get the kids, get the blueprints, everything they need and into the cars. Melody can help carry Heinz into one of them."

"What about you?"

"I might be the only thing standing between him and you guys."

"You can't sacrifice yourself like that! What about your family?"

"I won't, I'm not going to let him take me down that easily," he growled, gripping the knife tighter to the point the handle cracked. "Remember, I wasn't human to begin with and they made modifications to my body when humanizing it."

"Perry…"

"Just trust me, okay? When you're downstairs and in the garage, have Melody brush me with her vector. I don't care how she does it, even if it means cutting me on the leg or arm to know you're all safe, got it?"

Holding back tears, knowing she won't win the argument, she hurried up the stairs, leaving the agent to his own rapid thoughts and drumming heart.

"What the hell am I doing? Can I even _beat_ this freak?" he muttered softly as he made his way back the door, hearing the man knocking again. "Hold on, I'm coming!"

He had to bide time, he just had too!

If he doesn't, he's going to lose everything he loves all over again.

And this time, he _won't_ get a second chance.

* * *

_***1 I have no idea what to call that "invention" so any thoughts/ideas of what it could be called would be great.**_

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	30. Chapter 30

"Hi there, sorry I didn't hear you knocking sooner. I was in the kitchen," Perry lied, faking a perfect smile, or hoped it was perfect.

The man before him, he felt off, seeing him dressed in heavy black clothes, namely the jacket and wide brimmed hat, dark glasses even.

But what drew his attention, careful not to let his eyes linger to long was the strange case he carried on his back. It was definitely not used for golfing, that's for sure, nor any traveling by its looks.

He had to play it cool, wait until Seri and the kids are out, are in the car and ready to drive the hell away.

"Is there something you need, sir?" he asked, keeping his voice surprisingly calm, the knife tucked in his belt, hidden by his shirt.

"I'm looking for someone, maybe you seen him?"

"Who might that be?" he asked, praying he won't falter if a photo is shown.

"Well, now that I think about it, it's two people, but one was _far_ more important, am I right, Agent P?" the man chuckled, a wide grin forming, baring his teeth.

Realizing his cover his blow, he pulled out the knife as the man pulled out what looked like a crossbow.

_"__Shit!"_ he cursed as the trigger was pulled, releasing a barbed sphere into his side, the shirt in the area torn to shreds.

A scream tore out of his throat as he shakily gripped the knife, refusing to back down, at least until pain suddenly flooded his system.

Another scream escaped as he stumbled into the wall, leaning against it, struggling to keep focused.

"Seems the neurotoxin's taking an effect, very nice," he chuckled as he stepped into the room, following the teal haired man as he limped away. "But you're moving to damn much for my liking."

Another shot fired, hitting the other side, watching as the barbs stuck deep into the skin and muscle, listening to his screams as more of the toxin was pumped into him.

Collapsing on the ground, he found himself rolled onto his back, tears blurring his vision as he tried to stay focused.

He can't give up, not with everyone else still here!

"Ya know, it's been a _long_ time since I was in this world," the man rambled, the other barely catching it. "Last time, I let myself get ahead and got shot in the ass, killed this cunt in a fit of rage, then killed by Lucy herself when I tried protecting that ungrateful bitch. Then fate brought _her_ and I back together, though I don't think cutie here isn't too happy about that."

_"__Is he talking about Lucy? Is that who's in there?"_ he gasped in his thoughts, staring wide eyed as he stared at the canister. _"No, it can't be her, he mentioned someone else, but who is it?"_

"Since _you're_ likely not gonna chat, I'm gonna have to search for 336 myself. I'd call for him, but it isn't likely _he'll_ be talking anytime soon," the man laughed as he began to walk towards the stairs.

"N-no!" Perry cried out, struggling to move, tears and snot covering his face.

"Don't worry, I'll be sure to get you too after I grab him," he chuckled darkly as he ascended the stairs.

"He…he's coming! He's coming!" the agent screamed loudly, the other cursing as he began running up the stairs.

"Perry!" Phineas sobbed as he tried to run out, the others holding him back. "He's hurt, didn't you hear him scream?"

"We heard, but what can we do?" Isabella sobbed softly, hugging the boy tightly as he cried into her.

"Th-then let me fight him," Melody stuttered, tears forming her eyes as her body shook horribly. "Just…just please don't hate me if I kill him."

"No way, it's too dangerous. We don't know what this guy is capable of. For all we know, he could be a diclinous, making him even more dangerous," Jeremy explained, surprised the frightened child was willing to fight.

"He isn't, I would've sensed him… But he has a girl with him though. She's in a lot of pain. She's begging me to kill her, to stop her hurting," she whimpered, clutching her head, shaking harder, a puddle forming around her feet.

Hearing a door smashed open, the group jumped, hugging one another as they backed up to Heinz's bed.

"Get under the beds and hide in the closet. Don't come out, no matter what," Candace practically hissed.

"What about Mr. Doofenshmirtz?" Ferb asked nervously as he was shoved into the closet with his brother and Melody.

"We'll protect him," she reassured with a hug.

"Candace, you should hide too," Jeremy whispered as he helped hide the rest under the beds.

"I'm not leaving you alone with some maniac," she stated, the two searching for weapons to defend themselves.

Going into the attached bathroom, the teenager was able to pry the shower rod off, trying to make as little noise as possible.

She knew the blonde was stronger, so handed the bar to her boyfriend, taking cleaning supplies, namely sprays to use.

If she's lucky, she can get it in his eyes, blinding him long enough for Jeremy to knock him out and they can escape. If only she had a lighter to make a miniature flamethrower to really slow him down.

Another door was busted down, wondering where Seri must be hiding, praying she's somewhere safe.

"Well, well, you got a little girl living here? How cute," he chuckled as he examined Candace's room, opening a drawer that held her underwear. Grinning widely he toyed with some of the clothing, "Typical girls, they always wearing frilly things."

_"__Sik pastrd,"_ the woman growled, hiding in the teenager's closet, gripping her knife tightly. {Sick bastard}

"Well since there's no sign of 336 here, onto the next room," he laughed, patting the canister, "shame you can't pinpoint where he is exactly. Then again, the pain must be horrible to keep you focused."

_"__He has the diclinous inside that thing?"_ the woman silently gasped, tears starting to form when staring at the case.

Just as he was out of the room, she managed to muster some courage, lunging at the man with all her might.

Still holding the knife, she aimed for his throat, missing when he turned, digging it into his shoulder instead.

"Stupid cunt!" he shouted, grabbing the front of her shirt, "That fucking hurts!"

Without warning, he threw her into the door, the very same the rest hid behind, watching as it splintered away.

"Seri!" the teenagers shouted, the redhead running to her side.

"C-Candace?" she groaned, blood trickling out of her mouth. "R-run…run, he's…he's not human."

"Oh, I'm human alright, bitch," the man taunted as he stalked into the room, his crossbow loaded and aimed. "Just given better training, unlike you pussies."

"St-stay away from them!" a voice gasped.

The man immediately spun around, clearly surprised to see the agent had somehow walked up the stairs.

Perry's legs wobbled horribly, nearly stumbling as he climbed, ignoring how wet and sticky his pants felt when he started moving.

Their lives were more important than his pride, than his dignity…

"Damn you're a nuisance," he growled, aiming the bow at the trembling man.

"No!" Jeremy shouted, swinging the bar down, aiming for his head.

It recoiled when the canister came into his view, throwing him off balance as the bow went off.

However, instead of being aimed at the agent, the blonde had been in its path.

Pain flooded his systems, pain he didn't think he'd ever encounter, worse than when he's broken bones skateboarding and such.

He fell to his knees, shrieking in agony as he clutched his side, tears and mucus coursing down his face.

He found himself heaving painfully, emptying his stomach all over the floor, clutching himself still as he tried to fight the pain, but it was too much.

"Nice try," he laughed as he reloaded, firing another round into Perry, hearing him shrieking in agony. "I suggest you stay down, Agent P, less you wanna die."

"N-never…" he panted, ready to drag himself across the floor, his knee shattered when the ball dug its way in. "This….this pain is…is nothing…com…compared to what Anax did…"

"Suit yourself," he laughed, firing two more rounds, each one digging into his shoulder blades, hearing him screaming louder than ever. "Might be overkill, but you're a resilient one, aren't you? Can't take any chances."

"Perry!" Phineas sobbed through his brother's hand.

"Ah, and we found our target," the man laughed when spotting the horrified brunette in bed. "Must be wondering how you were found, aren't you?" he taunted as he heaved the canister off his back, letting it land on the floor.

Everyone stared in a mix of horror and confusion, those conscious staring with wide eyes, the injured barely focusing to stay awake.

They barely missed what he said next, watching as he began talking once more, his evil grin never leaving.

"This little missy helped me out quite nicely. Before she was set up, Darkness-sama ensured she got proper training to sense reiatsu like Eva had. Namely finding yours, using Starrk's as a guide in terms of power. I'm sure you two can become friends when we get back, you'll both have something in common. Neither of you can talk."

The distance was enough for just about everyone in the room to see, including the brunette himself, as it opened up.

Inside, it showed a young girl with pale purple hair and horns, her appearance leaving a horrifying image burned into their minds.

There was nothing from the waist down, tubes and such shoved inside, giving her some sort of life support.

How she survived was beyond them, but knew that this must've been the girl who made contact with Melody, the one who begged for death.

Now they knew why, sickening them that the man treated her so poorly, laughing at her pain, at her suffering, at her misery.

What disturbed them mostly was the lack of actual noise, some putting it together what he meant about her not talking.

Like Heinz, her vocal cords were cut, possibly removed, forever silencing her while trapping her in a world filled only with unimaginable pain.

Before the twisted man knew it, the closet exploded with wooden splinters flying across the room.

Slowly, Melody walked out, eyes lit with rage as she stared at the poor creature being held captive.

Her whole face was covered in tears and snot, tiny fists shaking horribly, her entire body shaking between fear, disgust, and anger.

"Fuck!" he cursed as he closed it up quickly, dodging several vectors as they came crashing down, missing the others.

"You hurt her! You hurt her bad!" the little girl screamed, tears coursing down her face even faster, her rage beginning to consume her. "I'll kill you!"

"I'm _so_ scared," he laughed as he readied his crossbow, aiming it at the small child, "see if you can block this!"

"Melody!" Phineas cried out, running in front of her.

An ear splitting scream tore out of his throat when feeling the barbed ball dig into his back, pumping the toxin into him as all the others had to the older men.

"Phineas!" the others screamed, watching as Ferb ran out, grabbing the barely conscious boy, tears staining his face.

"Leave them alone!" Buford shouted, his anger fueling him more than terror, grabbing the fallen pipe.

He swung it, keeping the man on his toes briefly before another round was fired, digging into his stomach, making him scream in pain.

However, he managed to keep to his feet, not stopping until another was fired into chest, feeling it scrape his ribs as the poison entered his system.

"No!" Baljeet cried, aiming to run to his bully and friend, crying out when kicked sharply, slamming him into the wall.

The impact caused an imprint, the plaster and paint cracking, some even falling around the boy, covering him, terrifying everyone further.

"Baljeet!" Candace screamed when seeing his head bleeding, some even trickling out of his mouth.

"Wake up!" Isabella cried, reaching the boy, gently shaking him, trying to rouse him, "Don't die, please don't die!"

"How cute," the psychotic man chuckled darkly.

As he walked over to the raven haired girl, he managed to fire a successful round into Melody, subduing her vectors as she writhed in pain.

Grabbing her long hair, he grinned when she cried out in pain, thrashing and kicking the air wildly, trying to break free.

Grabbing her leg, he lifted it, grinning when seeing under her skirt, "That's different; you wear panties with puppies on them."

"Let go of her you sicko!" Candace shouted, clawing at his face as she jumped on his back, making him let Isabella go.

She had dropped the cans, having forgotten about them, having figured she wouldn't have time to even use them.

"Guess I'll have some fun with you two before I report back with 336 and your friend there," he laughed as he grabbed the redhead by the throat. "But let's go to a different room, this place is too crowded for my liking."

"N-no…" she cried as he dragged her out of the room, realizing what was going to happen to her, to Isabella even. "P-please…don't…"

She felt tears flowing down her face, crying harder as she was forced passed Perry, seeing him stare at her blankly, clearly out of it.

Shoved into her room, she was thrown onto her bed, curling up as she cried harder, shaking horribly.

"Don't be like that, just do what I say and I'll promise you'll only be just a _little_ sore afterwards," he laughed as he readied to undo his coat.

"J-Jeremy! Help me! Perry! Mom! Dad!" Candace screamed, sobbing hard, screaming louder for her parents.

"Shut up!" he snarled, ready to smack her before feeling something painful digging into his side.

Glancing down, he saw the green haired boy standing, a knife held tightly in his hands as he dug it deeply.

He let out a snarl, grabbing the boy by the throat, hearing him wheezing for air, pathetically clawing at his hands to let go, feet kicking weakly.

"Stop it! Leave him alone! I'll…I'll do whatever you want!" Candace sobbed, realizing what was happening. "Just don't kill my brother, please! I'm begging you, please don't kill him!"

Pausing, he stared at her, grinning as he dropped the barely conscious boy, wrenching the knife out of his side. He threw the weapon to the ground away, watching as it slid from anyone's reach.

"Now that's more like it," he laughed as he watched her start pulling her shirt off, her hands shaking.

_"__I'm so sorry…Ferb, Phineas, Jeremy, everyone,"_ the redhead cried as she felt the man groping one of her breasts.

"Wonder how wet I can make you before I'm inside?" he teased as he began to descend his hand further down.

Just as he began to slide it up under her skirt to tear her panties off, something hit him on the back of the head, making him snarl.

"Now what!"

The man was ready to smash whoever's face in for that, stopping in surprise at who was at the doorway.

"No way, there's no way you should be able to walk," he gasped, unsure if what he was seeing was real.

Hearing that, Ferb slowly turned his head, trying to focus daze, seeing the shape of a man in the doorway.

"Perry?" he wondered, wishing he could focus, praying it was him, anyone to come save them.

* * *

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	31. Chapter 31

The smell of blood flooded his nostrils, tears soaking his face as his vision was blurred, unable to wipe them away.

This was his fault; he was the cause of it all…

If he never came here, never found them, none of the others would be hurt, would be suffering.

Something had to be done, he had to do something before that poor girl was raped, her life destroyed.

Not sure how, he forced himself up, trudging sluggishly down the hall, having seen the boy, Ferb take chase, grabbing a bloodied knife as his weapon.

He'll need a weapon too, eyes darting around, searching for something, _anything_ that he could use.

Spotting a small painting, the size of a dinner plate, he knew it had to do, at least to get the bastard's attention.

"Stop it! Leave him alone! I'll…I'll do whatever you want!"

He heard her crying, realizing that Ferb's life was in danger, confirmed by her next set of screams, somehow urging him to move faster.

"Just don't kill my brother, please! I'm begging you, please don't kill him!"

_"__Please don't drop the painting, I need it, I need it, I need it,"_ he silently begged, hand unknowingly gripping the frame tighter.

Just as he arrived, he saw red as the man hovered over the crying teenager, seeing his hand sliding up her skirt, the other groping her chest.

_"__No!"_ he screamed as he managed to throw the picture with all his might, hitting his target dead on as it broke in two.

"Now what!" the sickening man shouted, ready to rip apart whoever attacked him, holding his head as it bled from the impact.

He stopped everything when staring at his assailant, not expecting to see _him_ standing, see _him_ walking, let alone actually _throw_ something at his head.

"No way, there's no way you should be able to walk."

Seeing he had his attention, he slowly began to stumble away, hoping to lure him, hearing him start to follow.

Finding a bedroom, seeing it had a balcony, he smiled inwardly, tears beginning to blur his vision again.

_"__I have to end this,"_ he cried softly as he numbly pushed the doors open, not feeling the brisk wind blowing past his skin.

"336, what are you doing?" the man shouted, seeing him walking to the railing, realizing what he was going to do. "Don't do this; it's all a misunderstanding you see. I wasn't going to _really_ hurt them."

_"__Bullshit."_

"I was just scaring them, but things got a tad carried away."

_"__Bullshit."_

"I wasn't _really_ going to rape that girl you know?" he joked, crying out when the air felt heavy, falling to his knees.

_"__Bullshit!"_

In his own rage, he released a powerful blast of reiatsu, the very same that's grown since the Hōgyoku was implanted inside.

Glass shattered around him, the railing creaking and groaning from the pressure crushing it, watching as the man crumbled to his knees.

Around him, all the windows shattered among any other fragile materials, the pressure extending in a wide perimeter.

The sounds of shattering windows and glass of neighboring houses echoed followed by terrified screams.

This power, this is what he has now, what Darkness wants…

There's no way she'll ever get it, not if he has anything to say about it!

He knew where he was, knew the height of the building, letting himself fall backwards, watching as walls turned to sky.

He was ready to die, willing to die at this point…

_"__I'm sorry Perry, guess you'll never know how I feel,"_ he muttered in his thoughts, hearing the man shouting at him to stop.

"Fuck!"

Angered by the loss, he turned towards the hall that the girl and her brother huddled in, that he left to cower.

"I'm going to kill you for ruining my fun!" he snarled, storming down the hall when the pressure let up, knowing the other hit the bottom.

Reaching the bedroom, neither was inside, not bothering to search the room, knowing _exactly_ where the terrified pair went.

Going towards the room everyone else was in, he grinned as he saw them together, attempting to move Perry inside.

"Nice try," he grinned as he pulled out a real gun. "Shame I'm not going to be popping your cherries, ladies."

Cocking the gun, he grinned as he aimed it towards Candace first, directing it straight for her head.

When the gun went off, a scream echoed, the children screaming as they closed their eyes, the redhead screaming as well.

However, when feeling no pain, she opened her eyes, gasping in shock, snapping her brother and friend out of their own terror.

They looked over, seeing and hearing the man crying out in pain, holding his busted hand, his weapon dropping to the floor.

"Shit!" he cursed, turning to the side, seeing the broken window; a boy crouched on the sill, leaning part way in.

One hand held onto the side of the sill, the other holding a pistol, the barrel smoking still as he readied it for another go.

"Don't move," he threatened, a deep growl rumbling from his throat, emerald eyes burning holes into him. "Unless you wanna get your balls shot off next."

"Hey now, it's just a misunderstanding," the man stated, attempting to duck away, taking in the boy's features.

Kid had to be no older than nine!

He took in his features, namely the white hair tied in a messy ponytail, snow white skin slightly flushed, clearly having been running.

He wore a loose green T-shirt and torn up jeans, canvas sneakers digging into the window sill, creating dents by the pressure added.

The man watched as the boy hopped fully into the room, slowly walking his way towards him, glass crunching under him.

"A misunderstanding? Really now?" the boy asked, no taunt or sneer in his voice, just pure disgust. "Explain how _this_ is a misunderstanding?"

At that, he gestured to the wounded group, the terrified members as they shook hard; clearly not sure what they were seeing was right.

Seeing the canister, he narrowed his eyes, carefully side stepping the man, back pressed against the wall as he made his way towards it.

He managed to hit the right buttons, opening it up to see what was inside it, curiosity obviously drawing him in.

Immediately, his eyes widened with absolute horror, hand flying to his mouth as he pushed the bile down.

"You sick motherfucker!" the boy snarled, cocking the gun once more, eyes blazing with rage. "Give me _one_ good reason not to shoot you dead! And it better be a fucking good one!"

Those conscious felt the air around them dropping in temperature, ice forming on the floor around the boy's feet and on the handle of the gun.

"I got a good one, how about where her lower half is located?" the man grinned as he held his hands up in defeat.

"Fucker!" the boy shouted, clearly in rage as he fired several rounds.

He let out another snarl when the man dodged two of them, grunting in pain when another two of the kid's bullets dug into his arm and side.

The boy charged, pulling a knife out when his gun was empty, clearly not wanting to waste time reloading it.

"Nice try boyo," he laughed as he dodge the blade, grabbing the kid's hair, hearing him let out an animalistic snarl.

"Neesan! Kill this pedophilic fucker!" the child shouted, eyes blazing as they turned to slits, canines enlarging, giving him a feral look.

"No need to tell me twice," a woman's voice spoke softly, making the man turn down the hall he came from.

"Fuck me," he groaned as he took in the features of a woman in black, red hair tied with blue eyes burning straight into him.

What made him angrier was that she had the very person he was sent after in her arms, carrying him as if he weighed nothing.

Throwing the boy away, he ran into the bedroom, grabbing the canister and dropped crossbow, ignoring the pain in his hand.

Pulling a device out, he ran into the bathroom as he watched shadows closing in on him, hitting the switch, a portal consuming him.

He let out one final scream as the shadows twisted around his leg and arm, crushing and tearing them off as the portal closed.

"Dammit," the woman cursed as she stalked into the room, eyes widening at the destruction laid waste to the group. "Chizoku!" **_*1_**

Setting the unconscious brunette down gently, she went to check the others, barking orders towards the boy to help check for pulses.

Pulling a phone out, she dialed a number into it, holding it to her ear, "Digi, get your ass to the Seretei now, we've got multiple injured, most of them children. Get Orihime and the other medics ready, one of the injured is a diclinous." **_*2_**

"Who…who are you?" Candace sniffled as she hugged Ferb close, seeing the woman look slightly relieved.

"Don't worry, I'm here to help," the woman answered as shadows began flooding the room, "BG, loan me your energy so I don't pass out doing this."

"Yeah, yeah" the boy grumbled, still pissed off as he put his hand on her shoulder, the limb glowing.

Before long the entire room was encased in shadows, the younger redhead screaming in absolute fear.

She felt her brother hug her tighter, Isabella hugging her when she had stumbled over moments ago.

The shadows instantly dissipated, crumbling into black feathers before fading away like shadows.

As they did, bright light shined down on them, making the teenager blink as she stared around at what appeared to be oriental buildings.

"Okāsan!" a teenager's voice cried out.

Turning, Candace saw several people running over, the leading ones being a small boy in robes, the other a teenage girl with the biggest rack she's ever seen.

"Orihime, Hanatarō, tend to them, and speak English so they understand," the redhead ordered as she glanced at the stunned group. "Where's Digi?"

"Just landed," a young woman's voice spoke up, already at the fallen agent's side, clicking her tongue. "This is bad; he's lost a lot of blood."

"They all have," the redhead spoke softly as different pairs of robed men and women hoisted the injured onto stretchers, carrying them off.

"I need you to find out what their blood types are immediately for transfusions, I'd have you remove them with alchemy…"

"They have seals on them that prevent them being removed that way, same with spells," the woman growled as she watched the injured man carried away.

"What are you going to do to them?" Candace cried, shrieking in fright when something landed on her shoulders.

Looking at it, she saw that it a jacket was wrapped around her, seeing it belonged to the woman examining Perry.

"We're going to help them," the woman answered with a comforting look.

"What about us?"

"I'll have to take the boy, he's got serious bruising around the throat," the redhead spoke, seeing Ferb's exposed neck.

"N-no," he sobbed softly, burying his face deeper into his sister's body, hugging her for all it was worth.

"She can come with you," she reassured, understanding his fear, "same with your friend too if it makes you feel better."

Hesitantly, Candace made movement towards the woman, knowing her brother needed to be looked at, scared by how dark the bruises looked.

She felt him follow, still hugging her as was Isabella, the two still sobbing hysterically, knowing she hadn't stopped crying herself.

"When you're checked out, I'll take you for some water and a place to rest," the boy offered, his tone calming down despite the scowl.

It was clear he was still upset about earlier, but knew now wasn't the time to focus on that, more important things were at hand.

"How…how did you find us?" Isabella asked, sniffling as they were taken into a sterile smelling room.

"We've been tracking that man, the one with brown hair, not that sick fucker," the boy spoke up before his sister interrupted him.

Taking Ferb, hoisting him up onto the table, the woman helped his shirt off before grabbing gloves, pulling her fingerless ones off after washing.

"We've been tracking Heinz-kun since we were made aware of his existence. My daughter almost got him here before she was attacked and lost her hold over him when traveling through dimensions."

"Are you going to hurt us?" Ferb whimpered softly.

He watched the redhead's hands glow a pale green, giving him a comforting feeling as they touched his sore neck and shoulders.

The pain was beginning to ebb away, wanting to fall asleep, his adrenaline crashing, but remained awake.

"I'd never hurt children, especially innocent ones such as you and your friends."

Somehow, those words alone were enough to let the boy slump into blissful sleep, leaning his head into her, body growing limp.

"Poor thing," she whispered as she finished healing any other injuries he obtained before getting his shirt back on.

Turning towards the older girl, she saw how battered she looked, how exhausted she seemed by the tears and snot covering her face, the children's faces even.

"Are either of you injured? Even if they're bruising, tell me," she spoke softly, letting the boy lie on the table, head resting on the small pillow.

Both girls made mention of some minor injuries they got, watching as the same thing was done to them, feeling a strange comfort from this strange ability.

Seeing they were fully healed, she collected some paper towels, wetting some before handing them to the girls to clean their faces. The other one she held she used to clean Ferb's sleeping face.

Afterwards, once they were cleaned up enough, she picked the boy up once more; carrying him easily as she led them out, taking them to a room they could rest in.

"There are some robes over there to change into," the redhead woman offered after setting the child onto a bed.

With that, she got to her feet and began to head for the door, sorrow showing in her features when looking back at them.

"You're leaving us here?" Isabella gasped, not wanting her to leave right away, wanting answers, but more importantly, wanted comfort.

"BG can stay and watch you, answer any questions, politely I hope."

"Yeah, yeah," the boy grumbled, crossing his arms as he leaned against the wall.

"Will the others be okay?" Candace asked, hugging herself as she shook.

"Of course they will, I only use the best for all patients that land in my care," the woman smiled softly as she left in a flash, almost as if she were merely a shadow.

"Who was she?"

"My onēsan, Caitlin."

"Onēsan?"

"Gomen…she's my older sister."

"Really?"

"Yup, I know, she looks too stupid to be this smartass' sibling," he joked dryly, seeing neither was laughing. "Gomen'nasai… Not used to dealing with people who aren't my nieces and nephews that get the crap I say."

"But are they _seriously_ going to be okay? What about Perry? He took so many hits from those awful things," the older girl cried softly, shoulders shaking.

"The guy with teal hair? He'll be fine, I promise. Neesan and Digi, the one who gave you her coat, are likely treating his injuries themselves than letting the others get involved. They aren't going to let him die that easily."

"God I hope so," she groaned as she fell to her knees. "What's happening to us? What did we do to deserve _any_ of this?"

Eyes softening, he walked over to her, hugging her despite his small size, his actions showing compassion by how she hugged back.

"That's a good question I'd like to know too," he sighed softly as patted her back gently, letting her cry into him.

"Where are we?" Isabella nervously asked, "Are we in Japan or something?"

"Close," the boy smiled softly, glancing at the girl as he helped the teenager lie down, seeing she was getting tired. "Give me a hand fetching that mattress, will ya?"

Nodding, she did so, helping him roll it out next to Ferb's, helping the teenager crawl into the soft surface.

Once she was on it, the boy pulled an extra blanket, covering her with gentle actions, a complete opposite from his fierce ones at the house.

"We're in a place where the dead come to rest known as the Seretei."

"Wait…are…are we…" she stuttered, tears beginning to form.

"No, you're still alive," he reassured, "just because it's a dwelling for the dead doesn't mean you _have_ to be dead to come here to hang out."

"R-really?"

"Yeah, really."

* * *

_***1 Chizoku = Ancient Caterian for Fuck off, fuck you, and fuck**_

_***2 Digi is an OC that belongs to a friend of mine**_

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	32. Chapter 32

Days passed, the children slowly released from surgery, placed into a large room where they could be together, an order given by the redheaded woman.

Also in the room was Heinz, although there were tags set about the bed as well as proper medical supplies to ensure he was breathing and got proper nutrients in him.

Slowly, eyes opened, Phineas staring groggily at the white ceiling, trying to recall what happened and find out where he is right now.

_"__Was it all a horrible dream?"_ he wondered before a small yelp escaped.

He looked down when arms threw themselves around him, green hair in his vision as a face sobbed into his chest.

"F-Ferb?"

Why was he crying?

He rarely cried or expressed such heavy emotion.

Did something scary happen to make him like this?

"Oh god, Phineas, you're awake," Candace sobbed, hugging her brothers tightly, the boy staring ahead, eyes blinking in confusion.

"What…where are we?"

"A safe place, finally a _real_ safe place," the teenager answered as she pressed her face into his hair, tears coursing down.

Memories flooding back, he felt tears forming as he recalled how badly hurt Perry was, making him let out a choked sob.

"P-Perry…"

"He's still in surgery, but he should be almost done and brought here like all of you were," she reassured, petting his hair.

"It wasn't a dream then?" the boy asked, feeling his nose running as he cried harder into her, clutching to the front of her shirt.

"It wasn't, I'm so sorry," she cried, hugging her poor brother tighter. "I'm so sorry you got hurt, Phineas. I'm a horrible sister…"

"You're not a horrible sister!" the boy gasped, staring at her with wide eyes. "I got hurt protecting Melody. You didn't pull the trigger, that evil man did!"

"But you're my little brothers, I couldn't protect you the way I should."

"I don't care; you're still the best big sister in the whole world. And Ferb's the best brother, Perry's the best big brother, Melody's the best little sister in the world too. And Buford, Baljeet, Isabella, they're the best friends I could ever hope for. Even Seri is amazing, she's like a big sister and aunt mixed together. Same with Dennis, he was like a big brother and uncle mixed together too. And Mr. Doofenshmirtz is great too; he's the coolest adult I ever met who loves inventing as much as Ferb and I do!"

"Try to take it easy or you'll pull your stitches," a gentle voice chided, revealing a short boy with dark hair.

"Hanatarō is it?" Candace asked, seeing he brought in a couple of carts, one of which was dragged by a dark tail.

"Hai," he answered before turning his attention to her bedridden sibling. "How are you feeling?"

"Sore," he answered softly.

"I see, mind if you two move away so I can check his stitches?" he asked, watching as the two did so. "Arigatō."

Leaving the carts abandoned for the time being, he walked over to the nightstand by the bed, pulling out gloves and getting them on.

"Roll onto your stomach, okay?"

Nodding, the boy did so as he felt the top slowly removed, shivering at the cold a little as it was set aside momentarily.

Taking a small pair of scissors, he cut the bandaging away, pulling them off and into a trashcan while pulling new ones out along with some creams.

"There's some swelling, likely from lying on your back, even after being rolled to your side a few times to prevent it," he sighed as he rubbed some of the medicine on.

"It tickles," the boy answered when feeling it tingle.

"That's good to know," the boy answered with a small smile. "I'm Hanatarō by the way, Panthera Yamada Hanatarō."

"Phineas Flynn…that's kind of a long name you have."

"Gomen'nasai," he apologized despite the boy's sudden giggling as he wrapped the bandaging around his torso and back. "That should do for now. If it starts feeling sore again, let someone know, okay? You had some nerves damaged, took a while to repair them all, best make sure they keep healing."

"Thank you, Mr. Panthera," the boy smiled as he was allowed to sit up.

"Call me Hanatarō, Hana even if you can't pronounce it," he smiled back, gently patting his shoulder.

"Okay, Hanatarō," Phineas smiled, able to pronounce the odd sounding name. "It's a really cool name."

"Not really, it means flower," the boy laughed sheepishly, a light blush beginning to form on his face.

"I like flowers, so it's still a cool name," the boy smiled, making the blush brighter, but his smile grew too.

"Arigatō, Phineas-san," he thanked brightly.

As he got up, he started putting the stuff away while throwing the gloves out before walking over to the carts.

"By the way, I brought food for everyone to eat. Candace-chan, Ferb-san, think you two could wake the others up?"

The two nodded as they went to the different beds, waking the others up, each one roused and sitting up.

Some moved faster when the smells of food began filling the room when covers were slowly removed over the different dishes.

"Wow, this smells really good," the redhead grinned, feeling his mouth starting to water as a tray was set on his lap.

"Okāsan was determined to make sure you ate, so asked those who can cook to do so for you guys."

"Okāsan?"

"Gomen, I mean my mother," Hanatarō apologized with a nervous laugh as he set the tray on Baljeet's bed. "How you feeling?"

"A little better, thank you," he answered softly, poking the food a little before eating, knowing he needed his strength. "Your medicine is amazing. I thought my back was broken, but here I am, sitting up comfortably."

"That was my Neesan…I mean my older sister's handiwork. She used her powers to heal both you and Seri-san of your internal injuries," he answered, tail swaying happily at the thought.

"You have a tail?" Phineas gasped, just taking note of the appendage.

"Yeah dude, we've _all_ seen the tail, wait until you see the wings, now_ those_ are cool," Buford joked between mouthfuls.

"You have wings?"

"Yeah, I guess you could say I inherited them from my mother, though they look more like what my father probably would have… If _he_ had wings that is," he sighed, appearing upset briefly before covering it with a smile.

"Can I see them?" the redhead asked, completely missing the look or the way he sounded talking about his father.

"Sure," he smiled as he set the last tray down.

Concentrating, a pair of black, bat like wings grew from his back with a light glow, flapping a little as they stretched themselves.

"That's so cool!"

"Arigatō, but they're not that special, honest," he laughed as he let them stay when tending to Heinz, taking some notes on a clipboard.

"Phineas, are you okay?" Melody's soft voice spoke up, the boy pulling the curtain back some to see her, bags hanging under her eyes.

"I am now, what about you?"

"Same I guess… I'm sorry you got hurt."

"It's okay, I'm glad to have protected you, or tried to at least… Wish I did a better job on that."

"Don't blame yourself, Phineas-san. No one would've expected an attack like that, I assure. You're just lucky you got out alive, all of you are," Hanatarō spoke with a comforting tone.

"Who saved us from that awful man though?"

"His mother and uncle," Ferb spoke up after taking a sip of water.

"Really? How did you know where we were?"

"It's a bit of a long story," the non-human male spoke as he finished taking his notes, pocketing them for later.

"I got time if I'm recovering," Phineas answered, clearly determined to listen.

"Well, this man here, Doofenshmirtz-kun, he was the key to finding you."

"He was?"

"Hai, if we never learned about his existence, what had been done to him, we would never have been searching for him. We would never have even attempted to save him the first time around."

"What happened?"

"Well…some evil scientists, one in particular did this to him. They had a very powerful weapon, but it was difficult to control from what I've been told and have witnessed on a few occasions. Not only that, it needed a proper host and apparently Doofenshmirtz-kun fit that role."

"So they put a weapon inside him? Is that why he can't talk or feel anything?"

"I'm afraid so…"

"But…but how _did_ you find him though?"

"Through a friend of ours when he was freed from mind control thanks to Doofenshmirtz-kun's enhanced reiatsu. If it wasn't for him, Ichimaru-san would never have fled to get help from us."

"So you planned a raid to save him?"

"Hai, many of us stormed their headquarters for that very reason. We split up; ready to call in when he was found and taken outside the main walls. We almost succeeded but Orihime, my sister, got attacked with arrows in the tunnel. She was in too much pain to hold onto him and lost him, thus landing in the world you guys were all in."

"But you found us though, so that's good."

"Yeah, we did, just wish we got to you first before that monster did."

"But at least you found us and saved all of us, or your mom and uncle did."

"That's true; I guess that's the most important thing, but still…"

"Then I'm happy with that. By the way, do you know someone who goes by the name, Shadow Queen? Perry, my big brother, he was searching for her for a long time. He heard that she could help us out, possibly help Mr. Doofenshmirtz out too."

"Shadow Queen?" the boy repeated before starting to snicker, "Gomen'nasai, but that woman happens to be my mother."

"Wait, _she's_ the Shadow Queen?"

"Yup, a nickname she earned because of her powers, because of her lineage."

"Does she have bat wings too?"

"Nope, more like angel wings I guess you could say. She's a pure bred Cateron; I was born a half breed. I'm only half Cateron, the other half being demon."

"Cateron?"

"A cat like alien race."

"That's so cool! So she has a tail too?"

"I'd be quite a strange panther then if I didn't," a voice laughed warmly.

"Okāsan!" Hanatarō greeted happily as he hugged the woman, feeling her pat his shoulder gently. "How's he doing? Their brother?"

"Perry-kun? He's doing fine; we're doing a final transfusion before we bring him in here to recover. He'll be out of it though for a few days, he's been through a lot."

"S-so you're the Shadow Queen?" Phineas asked nervously, not believing how pretty the woman looked.

"Caitlin, Panthera Caitlin," she greeted with a warm smile, blue eyes shining with the same warmth.

"Th-thank you for saving us! I don't know what would happen if you hadn't shown up! If your brother hadn't shown up to save us!" he cried out, tears beginning to fall from his eyes once more.

"Let's not dread on what could've been and enjoy the fact you're all okay," the redheaded woman spoke gently as she walked over, drying his eyes.

"Y-yeah, I like that idea a lot," the boy smiled brightly, hugging the woman without warning, feeling her returning it, reminding him of his mother.

Course why shouldn't it? She's a mom too, just like his, of course the hugs would feel similar, almost the same.

"Ms. Panthera?"

"Call me Caitlin, no need for formalities."

"Caitlin…do you think you can help us find our families?" he asked somewhat nervously as he looked up at her.

"Of course I will, you don't have to ask," she answered with an honest smile. "I'll do everything I can to find them. What are their names and I'll send bring some people to find them. Same if there are any pets you had too if you're worried."

"I had a pet chameleon named Steve," Ferb spoke up, earning a laugh from a few others, "What? I miss him."

"Nothing to be ashamed of, sweetheart," Caitlin comforted as she got up, taking a pen and notepad out. "Anything else, such as what he looks like normally?"

At that, she took notes down on what the pet looked like followed by who the parents of the brothers and sister are including appearance.

Afterwards she began taking more notes for families of the other kids in the room, eyes softening when asking where they lived.

"I see…you came from _that_ dimension…" she spoke softly, sorrow etched in her tone. "I'll do what I can to find them, any trace of them."

"You make it sound like they may not be alive," Candace spoke softly, not wanting to sound harsh.

"There…there were very few survivors we got, especially in that town. Many were injured when being evacuated; some didn't make it, others are in comas."

"Oh…" she spoke before eyes glanced over at Heinz, remembering he has family too. "W-wait up!" she called out, running after the woman when she started leaving.

"What is it?"

"There's Mr. Doofenshmirtz's family too."

"Do you know any?"

"He has a brother, he was our town mayor. His name is Roger Doofenshmirtz."

"Any others?"

"I think a daughter; she's a friend of mine. Her name's Vanessa. Also…could you find other friends of mine?"

"Of course, honey."

"Thank you…her name's Stacy, Stacy Hirano and Jenny Brown."

"Alright, any others?"

"Well their families too if they're okay, anyone really from our dimension, from our town," Candace sighed before feeling arms wrap around her.

"Don't worry, I'm going to do everything I can to find them, I promise."

"Thank you, I'm just…it's hard to believe after everything we went through."

"I know, sweetie, I know. It's hard to swallow, but you've been very strong protecting your family, your friends even. Alive or not, your parents would be very proud of you, I'm sure of it. I know I would be if I was your mother."

"Thank you, Caitlin."

* * *

_**Please read and review**_


	33. Chapter 33

Eyes slowly opened, a groan escaping as memories came back, making him shake when the face of that man came into his vision.

Memories of the agony he was in, he began convulsing, body going into a seizure as he struggled to breathe.

"Shit! Code blue! Code blue!" a voice shouted, several people hovering over him, trying to calm him down. "Watch his teeth; don't let him bite his tongue!"

Soon there was some cursing; barely taking notice he had bitten down on someone's fingers, though they made no attempt to retract.

Other shouts echoed, his mind fuzzy as they swam in his head, tears blurring his eyes, things clouding over further when a needle pierced his arm.

He felt his ramming heart slow down, his breathing settling, wondering if he'll pass out, but it never came.

Whatever was in that needle wasn't meant to knock him out, merely calm him down and finally focus.

"Who…who…" he wheezed, his throat dry when the fingers left his mouth, allowing him to attempt speech.

Arms wrapped around his shoulders and torso, hoisting him up into a sitting position as a cup of water was shoved into his face.

The first time he merely swished, spitting when a basin was shoved into his face, as if they could read his mind.

Shakily, he took the refilled cup, drinking as slow as he could, most of it missing as his mouth, soaking his neck and shirt. Not that it would've mattered, he was soaked with sweat, some of it stinging his eyes a little.

Finishing, he held it out, trying to find the words to ask for another cup, someone understanding, pouring him another.

"Th-thank you," he panted after drinking his third cup, starting to regain some sense of his surroundings. "Who are you?"

"Hanatarō, Panthera Hanatarō," the boy answered, shortening his name than risk confusing him as he almost had done with Phineas. "You're safe now. You, your brothers, sister, all of your friends are safe."

"H-Heinz?"

"He's safe too, he's by the window over there, see?"

Following the pointing finger, he saw the questioned man, relief filling him that he was indeed okay.

"Where are we?"

"Seretei, specifically the Fourth Division, the whole place is a hospital," a new voice answered, revealing to be a blonde man with glasses.

"Hai, the two of us are doctors; just about everyone here are doctors and nurses, so you have no worries about not finding one. If one of us isn't here already, simply shout and you'll get one in no time," Hanatarō smiled happily.

"Thank you," he sighed, taking notice of the worried kids. "Oh god, they saw me freaking out?"

"Yeah, that was my bad," the boy apologized sheepishly. "You see, you were originally going to be put here, but after a transfusion, you had an episode. So my okāsan had recommended having you put into another room until you woke up. You know, just in case you had another episode. But after a few days, I assumed you'd be okay and moved you here. So yeah, bad call on my part."

"How…how long was I out?"

"About two weeks. We had to keep the curtains drawn whenever we were tending to you," the boy answered, keeping his voice low so not to embarrass the man.

"O-oh…two weeks huh?" he muttered, feeling how stiff his muscles felt, yet the pain didn't seem to affect. "How bad are my injuries?"

"They mostly healed now; stitches are gone, now it's mere rawness and stiff muscles to deal with. When you're more awake, we can help you walk around to get used to moving again."

"Thank you, that'd be nice."

"Hey Perry, glad to see you're okay now," Phineas spoke up, carefully getting out of bed, a busty young woman helping him.

"What on earth are you wearing?" the agent asked, barely suppressing a chuckle by what the small boy wore, noticing the others all wearing, including himself.

"They're called jinbei, aren't they cool? Hanatarō and a bunch others gave them to us because our clothes were too messy."

"Thank you, I appreciate the kindness," Perry thanked, relieved to hear this.

"Oh and we found the Shadow Queen," the redhead announced happily, seeing the other's reaction turn into shock.

"W-what?"

"Yup, we found her, or more she found us. She and her brother saved us, operated on us with help from friends and family, fixing us all up."

"The acclaimed _Shadow Queen_ is my mother, her name's Panthera Caitlin."

"She…she was real the whole time then?" he stuttered, recalling his long ago promise to Nerea. "Where is she?"

"She's not here; she's searching for your families right now. Is there something wrong? Something you need?"

"I wasn't the only one experimented on, I wasn't the only one kidnapped from our dimension," he rambled, trying to keep his nerves calm as he shook. "Heinz and I aren't the only ones taken."

"Who else? What do you remember?" the half breed asked, alarmed by this, though not entirely surprised to hear it.

Taking a deep breath, seeing the blonde pulling out a pad of paper and a pencil, taking any and all notes, he told them all that the remembered.

"I see, so there's a panda that was sent to a brothel after being humanized as you were?" Hanatarō muttered softly, watching as the redhead climbed into the agent's arms, seeing how upset he looked. "I'll give my okāsan a call right away and have teams formed to find this Peter immediately. Same with finding this Nerea woman as well along with any others. Don't worry, we'll find them."

"Could you do something else for me too?"

"What is it?"

"Find anyone, _anyone_ from the O.W.C.A. Find out if any are alive, please I'm _begging_ you."

"Of course," the half breed reassured, "Iemura-senpai, do you think you can manage things here while I contact my okāsan?"

"No problem," he answered as he fixed his glasses briefly as the smaller male rushed out with the sheets.

"I'm going to check on Heinz-kun, see if he wants anything," the busty girl spoke as she made her way over to the man.

"He can talk?"

"No, she's been speaking with him using telepathy, learning everything she can about him, including allergies, likes, dislikes, that sort of thing. She's taken charge mostly over his care next to Hanatarō-san and Panthera-sama."

"Telepathy? Is…is she human?"

"Nope, many of us thought she was, but she isn't," the blonde answered as he grabbed a food tray, placing it on the agent's lap when shooing the boy off.

"What is she then?"

"Hanatarō and Orihime told us they're Caterons," Phineas answered with a large grin, "they're brother and sister, she happens to be the older sister."

"I see, so their mother is a Cateron too?"

"Yup, she's really cool. She's super kind and really gentle. Everyone seems to love her when we got visitors, mostly doctors, but we got other visitors too."

"What kind of visitors?"

"People who are related to them or they're friends of theirs. They wanted to see if they can be of help for us."

"That's nice to hear," Perry laughed as he sipped some tea, finding some honey was added, making it taste sweeter and soothe his sore throat.

Glancing over at Heinz, he felt tears forming in his eyes, letting them fall, relieved that they're all finally safe.

Noticing the strange tags decorating around the man's bedframe as well as a few tiles on the floor and walls even, he was curious.

"What are those?"

"The tags? They're seals to keep Doofenshmirtz-kun from releasing his reiatsu freely. The tags absorb most of it, so any that does escape doesn't harm people. They're very powerful spells, normally used sealing high class Hollows and Arrancar. However, Panthera-sama found another use for them with minor alterations specifically for people such as him."

"Oh…"

"Don't worry, he's in capable hands, nothing's been done yet because we were busy dealing with you first. We merely got him hooked up as a precaution. Orihime-chan has been reassuring him when he had a mild panic attack when he first woke up here. Of course, the only thing he was solely concerned about had been you, the woman, and the children here."

"I don't blame him panicking; after all we've been through."

"No one can based on what he's told Orihime-chan and what your sister and that boy have told us."

"Yeah…"

Feeling a hand land on his shoulder, he looked up at the other, feeling reassured as he focused back on eating his meal.

"You did an amazing job tending to him though," the blonde spoke up suddenly, "it's amazing how well off he was when brought in. We would've thought he'd be in worse shape, but you guys did an excellent job."

"Seri is the one you should complement, she's a trained nurse," Perry spoke up, "I merely helped move his limbs to keep the muscles strong or helped clean and dress him when needed. She did all the real work when it came to vaccinations and making proper appointments to take him to a doctor. She's the one to even _show_ me the stuff I was put in charge of as well as Jeremy if either of us weren't around."

"Thank you, Perry," the woman's voice laughed, clearly embarrassed as well as revealing she's awake.

Pulling the curtain back, he saw her as well as Buford in the other bed next to her followed by Isabella's and Baljeet's.

"Are you guys okay?"

"We're better now," Isabella spoke up for everyone as they gave him comforting looks, "what about you though? Are _you_ okay? We heard you having a fit."

"I'm better, things kinda hit me a bit too fast waking up," he answered sheepishly, looking away almost shyly. "But I think I hurt someone though…"

"That was me, no problem," the teenager, Orihime, laughed, waving at the other stupidly, her bandaged hand being revealed. "Better my fingers than your tongue, right?"

"I…I guess," he nervously answered, starting to question this girl's bubbly attitude if she was being serious or merely comforting him.

"Orihime's really nice; she helped give Melody and Isabella baths when they needed it. She even helped Seri when she had trouble moving around, and showed Candace where the bathrooms were too so she can clean up," Phineas explained, his own bubbly nature returning.

"How do _you_ know that?"

"I watched them leave together when it was bath time," he answered with a proud grin on his face.

"And who showed you boys where the showers were then?"

"That would be a couple of my younger brothers, Ichigo and Keigo," the alien girl answered with a kind smile. "I asked them to help out, figuring they would be the best in case any of them were nervous or got scared."

"Just how many siblings _do_ you have?" Perry asked, starting to count at least four, including the girl, yet the way she talked made it sound like there were a lot more.

"Might be a little hard to believe, but I have ninety brothers and sisters, counting my adopted brothers and sisters," she answered with a nervous giggle. "Of course, we could get more adopted into the family knowing Okāsan."

Nearly spitting his soup out, he stared at her with wide eyes as did the others, having just learned this.

"How is that possible?"

"Well not _all_ of them Okāsan gave birth too. At least fourteen of them were adopted," she answered rather proudly.

"Wow…still that's a lot of kids to give birth too."

"Arigatō, it's all thanks to our anatomy when it comes to aging and breeding at appropriate ages. You see, Caterians age rather slowly, at least back home. Right now, our aging is _a bit_ screwy. But for the most part, we can pretty much give birth to a hundred kin if we wanted to and we'd barely breach five years in human terms."

"What is it _in_ Caterian terms?"

"Five hundred."

"Wait, are you saying you age every hundred years?"

"Hai, it's a blessing and a curse in its own right depending on how you look at it as a whole."

"I see… I'm sorry for asking so rudely… I should've at least been a bit more polite about it."

"It's okay; I don't mind talking about my family, honest," the girl reassured with a bright smile. "There's a lot of happy things I can share if it'll cheer all of you up, maybe even make some of you laugh. There are a _lot_ of funny stories I can share if any of you are ever interested."

"What family doesn't have some sort of funny story?" Perry chuckled, the girl giggling, seemingly agreeing with him.

"Think you could tell us one, please?" Phineas asked politely.

"Oh I know, there was this one time where a few of my otōtos were really young and snuck into mine and our other sisters' rooms to steal our underwear. From there, they were running throughout the castle, most in their kitten forms, so had them either wrapped around their heads or in their mouths to carry panties or bras. It depends which of the boys stole what."

"Oh wow, what happened?" Candace asked, listening in, unable to suppress a laugh at the image.

"It took us a lot of hours to find them all, my troublesome otōtos that is. As for the missing undies, it took us weeks to not only locate, but sort whose was whose in the mess they made. Normally we'd be able to tell them apart by size and scent, but at the time were all mostly the same size and ages. So it'd be harder, plus after having them in weird places, any scent that belonged to us was gone or very light."

Unable to contain himself, Perry let out a heavy laugh, the others laughing as well, clearly cheering up at that.

"Of all stories to share, you had to share that one, didn't you, Ori-neesan?" a drone like voice asked, the girl jumping in surprise.

"Ulquiorra!" she pouted, puffing her cheeks before smiling again, "Everyone, this one of my otōtos, his name is Ulquiorra."

"Pleasure to meet all of you," he greeted with a thin smile. "Neesan, we got some people who just arrived with injuries. They need you to help heal the more serious ones right away."

"Is it that bad?"

"I'm afraid so," he replied sadly, the girl opening the window to dive out, wings forming to give her flight.

Even the blonde took off, knowing he'll likely be needed, the raven haired youth offering to stay and watch being he has no medical knowledge to be of use.

"Some way to greet us, no offense," Buford grumbled softly.

"Gomen'nasai, but it was an emergency. I was nearby when I got word and figured than waiting for a message sent out, fetch Neesan," the man named Ulquiorra explained apologetically as he leaned against the doorframe. "Neesan has told me about some of you, mostly she wouldn't shut up about him."

At that, he gestured his head towards Heinz's form, the other staring in confusion that he'd be talked about so much.

Just what kind of impression did he leave on her to be so fascinated?

Part of him hoped she didn't gain some sort of crush on him, she looks far too young to feel comfortable, regardless of what she is. Not only that, but he didn't feel that way for her, his heart wanting something, _someone_ else.

"I'm not sure why, but she's taken quite a shine to him, the way she treats him, it's as if he's a member of our family," the strange being explained with a small smile. "Reminds me of how she first treated me when I was adopted and brought home along with my brothers."

"Really? Your mom must've been really lucky then to get someone so cool looking as you as their kid," Phineas grinned brightly.

"If anything it's the opposite. If my brothers and I hadn't stumbled upon her that day, we likely wouldn't have lived for much longer in the streets as kittens. She saved our lives, gave us a purpose and reason to exist than mere survival alone. She gave us a home, a family whom adore and love us, whom we love and adore."

"That's really cool; Caitlin so far has been really great taking care of us before going off to find our families. I'd be surprised if she _didn't_ try to help someone out when they really needed it," Jeremy spoke up.

"That's pretty much how Okāsan has always been like. It helps that she's been able to learn how to see aura clearly than mere blobs as she called them in her youth."

"She can see aura?"

"Hai, the exact aura that defines where our heart lies, if we want to protect or slaughter. She has even helped save men and women whose hearts have been tainted, have blackened, yet a small spark of light remained."

"So she helped them focus on that light?"

"Hai, you could say she reached in to pull it out, pulling them out of the darkness, so even if their soul is tainted, they're more in a shadow than pitch blackness."

"That's really cool."

"Arigatō, Okāsan has taught us all she could to give them the benefit of the doubt, give them a chance for redemption if they wish it and seek it. Even if they committed heinous crimes, if they regret it or are cast into doubt of where they truly belong, she'll try to help them."

"She sounds like a saint."

"She's no saint; she merely understands that _anyone_ can fall into sin."

"Wait, did she…"

"She's done some things she regrets, though I don't know the entire situation of what they are. She tries not to burden us with her problems, even if those problems are as much ours as they are hers…"

"She puts a lot of pressure on herself, doesn't she?" Perry asked, somehow feeling a strange kinship with this woman he hasn't even met.

"She does, always has since we were on Cateria, and still does even after regaining our memories."

"Memories? What do you mean?" Baljeet nervously asked, seeing a flash of pain cross the young man's eyes.

"Okāsan had her reasons, but many years ago, she sealed off our memories and had all of us reincarnated."

"How was that possible?" Seri asked, not sure if she heard right.

"Okāsan is a very powerful sorceress as well as a powerful alchemist. Her magic however just about surpasses all, marking her as the strongest magician in the universe. That is where the title as the Shadow Queen as you've heard, comes in."

"So she uses black magic then?"

"Any and all magic she can get her hands on. She will learn, and if viable, perform powerful, forbidden black magic to make shields, transportation, healing, and most of all, offense."

"So it wasn't because she's a panther?" Phineas asked, eyes wide as he hung on every word spoken.

"Exactly."

"So she earned the title, not because of her breed or vast knowledge, but _how_ she used that knowledge?" Baljeet half asked, getting a nod from the other.

He still couldn't believe that he had been wrong, that magic actually _does_ exist, that it wasn't some fantasy made up to explain things.

He seriously owed Phineas an apology later for doubting him back when they fought and he called him a naïve idiot.

"Exactly, while magic is dangerous, it is only a true threat to those who are inexperienced or wish to do harm to others. Okāsan has always found uses for magic, proving even the darkest of spells are capable of guiding us towards the light."

"She sounds so cool!" Phineas cheered happily, getting more and more pumped up. "What about that woman, Digi right?"

"Digi-san? She's been Okāsan's friend for many years since we were on our home world. She's known as a Digital, specializing on a unique method of performing alchemy. It was her who taught Okāsan as much as she herself knew, what Digi-san's neesan hadn't gotten to teach her or wasn't in books Okāsan had gotten."

"So what are Digitals though? They sound pretty cool."

"Some have considered them one of the most advanced species, namely for their advanced technology through the use of alchemy. But that alone isn't what made them unique, merely added to it. They are an androgynous species. They are neither male nor female. They only take on a gender more for personal preference and for breeding purposes as with most species. Even then, they _could_ remain one sex, making minor alterations if were in a same sex relationship."

"Oh wow, that's so cool, are there others like her here?"

"I'm afraid not, so far only Digi-san has been the only Digital next to her son."

"Oh…"

"Gomen'nasai… I didn't mean to upset you."

"It's fine, I didn't mean to bother you so much."

He was about to say something else before stopping, pulling a phone out of his pocket, holding it up.

"I see, I'll be there shortly," he answered with a small frown.

"Is something wrong?" Candace asked, not liking that look.

"Okāsan and Digi-san have returned."

* * *

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	34. Chapter 34

Things were silent, Ulquiorra having left to see how his mother and Digi were doing and find anything out.

They knew whatever was going on, whoever was brought are likely having things explained, more so if any are connected to those who are still in recovery.

"You think our families are okay?" Buford ask, his voice surprisingly soft, not that anyone can blame him.

The moment is getting closer where they may either be reunited with friends and family or find out they're gone forever.

"I don't know, we have no choice but to wait," Candace whispered softly as she got up to pat the boy on the shoulder.

Her brothers are fine; they're with Perry, the two chatting with him, telling him about what they've learned so far since waking up here.

Both were still mildly upset, but they were also excited, knowing any second now, they'll get some sort of good news.

She just prayed whatever news they get, anything that's bad won't hurt them, any of them, particularly Phineas and even Doofenshmirtz.

Footsteps could be heard, hearing they were coming to where they were set up, grabbing their curiosity.

The door opened, revealing two people, a disturbing man with black and white face paint all over, even on his hands.

He was dressed in robes similar to most of the doctors, only he had a white coat over his shoulders, a sword strapped to the front of his belt. The rest he wore made him look like a freakish sun, the make-up not helping.

"Ah, so it _is_ true that the Hōgyoku's host _was_ put here," the man chuckled as he began to walk towards Heinz, ignoring the stunned group.

"Who the hell are you?" Perry growled, forcing himself to move, standing on shaking legs.

"I suggest you lie back down, boy, I'm simply taking him to my lab for studies. I'm sure Panthera won't mind, she'd agree that the Hōgyoku needs to be taken care of."

"Like hell you're taking him! I wanna hear it from her or one of the doctors in charge than hear your half assed excuse," the agent snapped angrily, managing to get between the two.

He wasn't going to crumble this time; he won't let himself end up like that again so long as Heinz is as he is currently. He'll protect him for all he's worth; give his life to protect him as he would for his family.

"Nemu, take care of this pathetic excuse of a man…or should I say platypus?"

He gritted his teeth, biting back the temptation to spew vulgar curses with the children present.

As she was about to shove the teal haired agent aside, she stopped, staring when a hand grabbed her arm.

"What are you doing, you stupid girl?"

"Leave them alone," Melody threatened, the three staring at her, finding she was the cause for the woman's pause. "You can't take Mr. Doofenshmirtz away! He needs rest, Hanatarō said so."

"Let go little girl unless you wish to get a spanking," the painted man threatened, the girl not backing down.

"Don't you _dare_ threaten my sister!" Phineas shouted, feeling his blood beginning to bubble. "You're not going to lay a hand on her _or_ my big brother! I won't let you even touch Mr. Doofenshmirtz!"

"Stupid brat, move aside or you'll face punishment for disobedience."

The redhead said nothing, glaring with all he could, legs shaking as he stood next to Perry, the other stunned before seeing the others gathering.

Seeing it was going nowhere, he began to draw his sword, the others paling and beginning to shake harder.

Heinz couldn't see, but heard the sword, making him unknowingly shake, realizing they were going to get hurt again because of him.

He wanted to stop it, wishing he could, frustrated tears blurring his vision, gritting his teeth, wishing he could talk, could scream.

He wanted to do something, anything to stop them, his mind flashing to his suicide attempt from before.

How did he even survive that fall?

He was sure he was well on his way hitting painlessly into concrete, but instead of that, he wakes up here, learning they're finally safe, _were_ safe that is.

_"__Someone stop him!"_ Heinz cried, hoping that maybe someone will hear his mental plea, that Orihime or one of her siblings will hear him.

"What do you think you're doing, Kurotsuchi-_teichō_?" Hanatarō's voice growled thickly, the man spinning in surprise at the boy's sudden appearance.

"Damn you," he growled, "how the hell did you…"

"How I got here? I sensed a dangerous spike of their reiatsu, meaning they were in danger and when I got closer, I smelled _your_ foul stench. Didn't take long to put two and two together," the boy explained, his glare never ceasing. "Especially when I hear someone crying for help. Ori-neesan isn't the _only_ one capable of telepathy."

The others stared in brief shock, including the intruders, heads turning towards the crying brunette, the man also in shock that he was actually heard.

Turning his attention back to the two, he gave them a vicious glare, the painted man glaring back, annoyed at the interruption.

"I suggest you get out of here before _I_ give you a one way ticket to the ER."

"You were _so_ much easier to deal with when you cowered and ran away," the man growled threateningly.

"And things were easier with you rotting away in the Maggot's Nest," the boy spat, eyes slowly turning red, nails extending into claws. "Now get out, you have no authorization to be here."

Still glaring, he left, Melody releasing the woman as she followed after obediently, moving faster when threatened to do so.

"How could you let him take that girl?"

"She'll be fine; he wouldn't dare lay a hand on her with Okāsan around."

"Why?"

"She may not be her daughter, but she does view Nemu-fuku-teichō as one. I won't be surprised if she tries to convince her to abandon him as a father and join our family instead. Kami only knows she deserves it despite what she's done…"

"W-wait, that man…_he's_ her father?" Candace gasped, her hand covering her mouth, not believing what she heard.

"I'm afraid so, she was artificially made, but she's alive no less regardless how she may act and look."

"How could you let a man like him roam free?"

"I don't know exactly myself, but what I do know is that he's been put on a very strict leash since Okāsan arrived. Any inhumane experiments he performed previously, he is banned from performing. Of course, it doesn't entirely stop him from arguing with her over whose methods are better, hers or his."

"But for him to be allowed to wander around like that…" Isabella started before the other interrupted her.

"The only reason he isn't locked up now, even being considered executed for a lot of his past experiments was due to the fact that he had been allowed. If Okaasan had come sooner, or my siblings and I had our memories restored sooner, we might've stepped in and stopped him long ago…"

"So your mother is giving him a chance?"

"Sort of, she's very wary around him, so likely his aura is very twisted and muddied, difficult to tell if he will protect the light or merely toy with it. If I had the choice, I'd have him executed. If you knew what he did, I'm sure you'd agree…"

"I don't think we have to know if you hate him that much…" Phineas whispered softly, "thank you though for stepping in like that."

"It's no problem, while he did sadly speak the truth that he Hōgyoku needs to be looked at, I rather have Okāsan be the one to do that. Her methods are very humane and gentle, far greater than most doctors here."

"Your mother's a researcher?" Baljeet asked with wide eyes.

"Due to our species' natural life spans and now adding in our current situation, she's had plenty of time to learn many things. She has studied various fields, ranging from various medicines, whether it was studying chemicals, herbs, magic, alchemy, and much more."

"That's really cool, so she's really talented as a doctor?"

"Not just that, but she's studied, law, all forms of fighting, would constantly study history from various worlds and now dimensions. And obviously, she's studied science, or else she wouldn't be as talented a doctor as she is, let alone an alchemist."

"That makes sense," the boy whispered before the other continued.

"She didn't want to learn it all to be number one, but simply so she could try and save as many lives as she could. And if she couldn't, she'd at least ensure that they would be comfortable regardless. She simply wants to ensure people will have a reason to smile again, have nothing to fear…"

"Your mother really is an amazing person," Jeremy complimented softly before a thought crossed his mind. "But why would that guy want to take Mr. Doofenshmirtz away though and without permission?"

"He's a freak of nature in his own right, that's all I can say really," the half demon answered, crossing his arms with a thin frown on his face. "He likely wanted to try and extract the Hōgyoku to study it, not showing compassion if it caused a reaction and wounded Doofenshmirtz-kun. He hardly shows compassion to another's life even if he considers them his prized specimen or creation…"

"H-Hanatarō?" Phineas started, unsure how to ask the half demon.

"What is it?" the other questioned, a brow raised.

"We heard from Ulquiorra that your mom and Digi came back. Did you hear anything about it?"

"Yeah…"

"Is it bad?"

"We…we didn't find a lot people you were connected with I'm afraid, not even any who are in comas currently."

"Who…who's been found then?" the redhead stuttered.

Already he could feel his heart sinking when hearing those words, his hands shaking as he felt tears filling his eyes.

"I don't know all their names, a few I was able to pick out scent wise though."

"Then whose scent matches us…them?" Perry asked, eyes downcast as he felt himself shaking between sorrow and rage.

"Doofenshmirtz-kun is one; there were a few whose scents matched his. It's the same with Jeremy-san and Isabella-chan…"

"That…that's all?"

"There are others, but their scents don't match to any of you. I can only assume they're friends you asked for."

Phineas felt himself fall to his knees, his entire body shaking as he wrapped his arms around himself.

His mind just about shut down after hearing who was apparently found, none matching him or Ferb.

No one on either side survived?

They were orphans?

Baljeet? Buford? They're orphans too?

"Phineas!" Isabella cried out, wrapping her arms around him as he continued to blankly stare at the floor.

"Mom…Dad… They're…they're gone…"

"Hold up, we don't know for sure they are, or even the other families. They could've gotten away, haven't been found yet…" Hanatarō tried to comfort before a hand landed on his shoulder.

Glancing up, he saw a young woman with short dark hair, giving him a small shake of her head.

"Digi-san…"

"Go give your okāsan a hand," the woman whispered, ushering him quickly out of the room with a mere look.

"It's true…isn't it? They're gone?" Baljeet whimpered, tears dripping down his face, feeling Seri pulling him into her arms.

"I'm afraid so, kiddo," she answered softly, reaching a hand out to try and comfort the redhead as Hanatarō was about to.

She stopped though when the diclinous girl suddenly ran into his arms, crying loudly into him and Isabella.

Even the green haired boy started wailing, revealing his childlike nature completely, hugging his brother and thee girls, the four crying their eyes out.

The Indian boy finally broke, having the Islamic woman attempting to comfort him, tears shining in her eyes.

Candace and Perry were hugging their brothers, each other, even the girls. The older pair both cried silently, devastated by the news just handed to them.

The larger boy, he cried heavily too, no one going to his aid right away, so made her attempt to at least try to comfort him.

She rested her hand on his shoulder gently, letting his head lean into her, clinging to her shirt desperately, ignoring how wet it'll become with snot and tears.

She could see the blonde teenager was crying just as hard as the rest of them, just about crying herself at the sight.

She could even see out of the corner of her eye that the bedridden man was horrified by the news. She knew he was ignoring the fact that his family was alive, focusing on the distressed group not far from him.

"Isn't there _anything_ that could be done? Isn't this a place where dead people go when they die? If they weren't there, then maybe they're here? Couldn't you try finding them than giving up?" Jeremy suggested, feeling his emotions racing everywhere.

He was relieved to hear his family is okay, that he might see his baby sister alive, but he couldn't bring himself to smile.

He couldn't feel happy while people he cared for likely have graves to fill.

Hell, he didn't even _want_ to feel happy despite how much he's missed his family.

First he fails trying to protect the love of his life from nearly getting raped, hearing her screaming for him, for her parents, for Perry even.

Now it feels like he failed her again, failing her brothers and their friends.

The thought alone made him cry harder, arms wrapped around himself as he shook, dropping to his knees, ignoring the sharp pain it brought.

It didn't compare to what he felt now, it felt like he got hit with another of those barbed balls, filling his body with that horrible poison.

"We searched all over, there's no trace of their spirits ever crossing over," Digi sighed, hating having to bring such horrible news.

But seeing them so distraught, she knew Panthera would be worse off than she is now, knowing the guilt must be eating her away.

It wouldn't matter if others tried to convince her otherwise, she'd still feel the guilt, blaming herself for failing them, not being able to bring them some peace.

Sure, they knew that the chances of finding people from that dimension was extremely low, a miracle they found anyone alive there.

When they arrived, the whole realm was a wreck, barely surviving themselves when attempting to evacuate people.

But most of all, she knew that her longtime friend would have difficulty trying to explain something so delicate…

Oh hell, she's having difficulty herself telling them as gently as she is now!

This could _easily_ have been her son suffering, making her wish she'll find him soon, that _he's_ safe.

_"__No, now's not the time,"_ she berated herself, needing to focus on the task at hand which was to settle these poor kids down.

They just got the news, the worst and best kind any of them could _ever_ want, knowing from this point on, their days of innocence have truly ended.

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	35. Chapter 35

"Oh god, Candy!" a teenager sobbed softly, face buried into her hands, ignoring her parents and sister trying to comfort her. "What's going to happen to her? To Phineas and Ferb? To Baljeet and Buford even?"

"For now, nothing will be done, but I'm going to talk with Perry-kun about having him become their legal guardian."

"Really?"

"Hai, I went back to where he and the others were and saw that he managed to make fake documents to make himself the legal guardian. I doubt he would mind remaining so if he's up for it. It'd be far easier for them than forced apart."

"But still…for them to lose their parents so horribly…"

Caitlin gave a heavy sigh, sitting on a low wall, face buried in her hands, glasses set next to her.

"Neiora kovora niso Gehenna!" the woman cursed in her ancient tongue. _***1**_

"Hold up, he's my agent…" an older man started, raising his hand before the woman shot him a look.

"Chizoku!" she snapped, baring her teeth at the white haired man, barely keeping her temper from flaring.

"I don't know what that meant, but I doubt it was friendly," a teenage brunette muttered, feeling arms wrap around her, comforting her.

"Dad, leave Perry be…the agency's gone, let him stay with his family. Don't break them up more than they already are," the teenager who held the girl scolded softly, feeling numb himself.

"You're right…" the man sighed, rubbing his hand through his hair, "if what you say about Agent P…about Perry is true, then it really wouldn't be fair to try relocating him. Even if I was ordered to, where _could_ I relocate him?" he laughed bitterly, feeling tears starting to sting his eyes.

"When can we see our son? See Candace and the others?" a blonde woman asked nervously, cradling her daughter close.

"Shortly, right now Jeremy-san and the others are in recovery, they should be released in another day or so. Though based on their personalities from the short time I met them, I'd give them another day or two to take in the news."

"They know?"

"I sent Digi-san to give word. I felt she'd be better than myself. She's far more stable than I would be emotionally," the redhead admitted as she slowly fetched her glasses, placing them back on.

"What about my dad?" the brunette asked worriedly.

"Gomen, but he'll be due for surgery tomorrow morning, so I can't let you or the others see him and stress him out any worse than he may be feeling now."

"What? Surgery? What kind of surgery?"

"He's endured very serious surgical injuries only a handful can undo."

"Surgical? Someone was performing surgery on him? Against his will?" the girl gasped, covering her mouth in silent horror.

The redhead simply nodded before giving her a forced, but honest feeling smile, "But you won't have to worry about him. I'm going to make sure that everything that's been done to him will be undone."

"What…what happened to him?"

"Vanessa, are you sure you want to know?" the other teen asked worriedly, seeing how distressed she looked.

He couldn't blame her for being so upset, he would be the same if this was his father, or even his mother in the same position.

"He's my dad, Monty!" she cried, turning to face him.

"_Shh_, _shh_…it's okay, I understand," he comforted, pulling her closer, rubbing her back as she shook.

"It isn't anything that would've been completely life threatening or actual disfigurement done to him if you're worried," the redhead comforted, placing a kind hand on her shoulder. "What he was forced through was having all of his nerves cut so he wouldn't be able to feel anything, especially at key points. It is that and his vocal cords that are in need of repairs. Everything else about him is perfectly healthy."

"He…he can't feel anything, not even talk?"

"I'm afraid so."

"Who would do that to anyone?"

"Very evil people, very evil demons with completely black hearts and minds," the woman answered bitterly as she thought of the people responsible for Heinz's condition.

"Dad…" the teenager sobbed softly, almost jumping when a handkerchief was passed to her, "Uncle Roger?"

"You heard Ms. Panthera, she'll fix Heinz," he reassured, desperately trying to keep his own emotions under check.

He didn't think he'd feel so horrible for his older brother; then again, he _is_ his brother, what kind of sibling wouldn't hold _some_ love for the other?

He could barely stand looking at the disinterested look his parents gave, albeit he saw that his father looked worried, but his mother was aloof.

It also didn't help that his brother's ex-wife showed little concern it seems, even miraculously having her _boyfriend_ survive the hell they escaped from.

He wondered if the redhead was entirely truthful about denying access to his brother, that maybe she worried of the brunette's mental state.

Wouldn't blame her, she _is_ a doctor, a patient's needs come first and if his surgery was already set up, it wouldn't be right to disrupt it without good reason.

"I'll show you where you'll be staying until everyone's been released," the redhead stated, the younger Doofenshmirtz almost missing her words.

They followed her to a large estate, the rescued group staring with wide eyes at the sheer size of the place.

"Byakuya!" the woman shouted, a young man appearing in a flash, his face appearing calm, a small smile forming on his face when seeing her. "Hey, honey, think you could get Rukia and help show them some guest rooms?"

"Of course, Okāsan," he answered, disappearing for a moment.

"Who was that?" Mrs. Doofenshmirtz questioned, clearly curious.

"One of my older sons, Byakuya," the redhead answered with a small smile. "He has the largest estate here in the Sixth Division. He'll have more than enough room to house you and the others as they're released."

"He owns all this?"

"He more inherited it from the parents he had been reincarnated in," the woman admitted with a thin smile.

"Reincarnated?" a young boy with glasses asked.

He had been silent the entire time, having to deal with learning some of his friends have lost family, even losing _his_ parents, his brother being all that's left.

He cast a nervous glance at his sibling, seeing how ragged he looked, having been in shambles over their loss as badly as he was.

"Hai, it's a long story how _that_ happened," the woman spoke, clearly not in the mood to share.

For once, the boy didn't try pestering her as he would have if it had been the inventive brothers and things weren't like this.

Barely five minutes passed before the man, Byakuya, reappeared with a few people by his side.

"Byakuya said you wanted some help," the girl spoke with a calm tone, but her eyes did light up seeing the woman much like the other had.

"Hai, think you could take a few to any rooms that may suit to their needs?"

"Of course," she answered, a smile forming as she glanced at the Johnsons and Du Bois, gesturing for them to follow. "You're welcome to tell me anything you may like to have in a room. My otōto has quite a few, and since we regained our memories, has been remodeling some to fit different needs."

As they followed, they told her, taking turns, the rest watching them leave before turning back to the others.

"Byakuya, care to show Carl-kun and the Monograms some rooms they may feel comfortable in?" the redhead suggested, the other nodding.

"I'll be fine with whatever is given," Monty spoke up, not wanting to part from Vanessa just yet, knowing she's still shaken.

"I'll be fine, go with your dad," she comforted, planting a reassuring kiss on his cheek, gently pushing him towards his father.

With one last worried look sent her way, he followed the guys, hands stuffed into his pockets, not fully listening as they talked.

"I've hung around here enough to know the rooms, think I could be of some help, Caitlin-san?" a redheaded man asked, having followed his captain and friend.

"Of course Renji-san," the woman smiled softly, grateful for the extra help. "You've taken the pills so she'll understand you, right?"

"Hai, Kuchiki-teichō wouldn't let me go until I took them," he half joked, "I don't know how, but I think he's scarier when he's got a tail thumping around angrily."

"That's Byakuya for you," the woman chuckled softly before turning to Mrs. Garcia-Shapiro and a few others that had followed. "Think you could take them?"

"No problem," he grinned before she leaned over to his ear, throwing an arm over his shoulder to pull him close.

"The young woman you won't have to worry about, but I suggest watching the others, they've been known for criminal activity."

"Gotcha, I'll make sure to set them up in some of those rooms to keep them out of any trouble," he reassured, giving her a thumbs up.

Nodding, she turned to the last face that was present; a teenager with bright orange hair, a pink kitten flopped across his shoulder.

"Here to help as well, Ichigo?"

"Of course," he smiled, the kitten grumbling something unintelligible.

"Strawberry-san still tired?"

"What do you expect from this homicidal maniac?" he joked as he jabbed a thumb to the ornery creature, not seeing her shooting a glare at him.

"Fuck you…" the cat groaned, smacking her trainer with her long tail.

"Ow! That hurt you little psycho!" he snapped, glaring at the cat as she simply yawned in his face, going back to sleep.

"Did…did that cat just talk…and swear?" Vanessa muttered, staring in shock.

"Yes, yes she just did…" the other teenager replied with the same look.

"Gomen, Strawberry-san's a lot friendlier than she looks," the teenager apologized with a sheepish grin. "Okāsan? Anyone you want me to guide?"

"Think you could show Stacy-chan, her family, and the rest some rooms? I'd like to talk with the Doofenshmirtz privately," the redhead asked, patting him on the shoulder.

Eyes widening, realizing who the remainders were, he gave her a concerned look before nodding.

"No problem."

"And keep Strawberry-san from picking fights with Kenpachi, I don't think your nīsan would appreciate the place getting busted up."

"No promises," he called, giving her a nonchalant wave before going into a string of foreign curses when the cat started attacking him for being too loud.

Once out of sight, she began guiding the family, showing them several rooms before taking them to a more spacious one to talk with them.

"So what was is it you wished to discuss?" Mr. Doofenshmirtz questioned when they sat down, albeit he and his wife were given some help with extra cushions.

"It regards your son, Heinz," the woman began, her tone serious, "I'm sure you're wondering exactly _what_ was done to him to leave him in such a state."

"I have," he answered, seeing his younger son and granddaughter looking even more worried than before.

"He had been used in a very cruel and inhumane experiment, and sadly it was completely successful," the woman spoke, a defeated look on her face.

"An experiment?" Charlene questioned, some actual concern showing.

"Hai, there is a very dangerous weapon now implanted inside Heinz-kun, one that is capable of obliterating dozens upon dozens of worlds if misused."

"Oh god…why would they do that to him? He's evil, but he's not _that_ evil!" Vanessa cried, tears starting to form again as she shook.

"He was being used as a host to keep this power stabilized, it wouldn't have mattered if he was evil or not. They would have merely used him as a tool, not as a person to work with," the redhead explained.

Lifting her hand, the shadows surrounding her condensed, reaching inside and pulling out a tray from it, seeing that it held a tea pot and several cups.

"Black magic?" Mrs. Doofenshmirtz gasped, jumping back a little.

"Not entirely, just something I've always been able to do because of my lineage," Caitlin explained absent mindedly.

With a snap of her fingers, a small fire surrounded the pot, heating it up while a spell of some sort was used to draw water into it.

After a moment, the fire died out, steam billowing out of the spout, the woman making tea for everyone.

"What _are_ you?" Vanessa asked when she took the risk in accepting the hot cup, the smell pleasant to her.

"Not human, but I'm no demon either," she reassured with a comforting smile after taking a sip from her cup. "Back with Heinz-kun, the Hōgyoku, the power I mentioned, right now it's completely fused into him."

"F-fused?" Roger stuttered, almost choking on the drink.

"Yes, it is what's literally keeping him alive at this point. If I were to remove it, he would surely die. I have no clue whether or not it is temporary or permanent; I'd rather avoid making that kind of risk, even if he allowed it."

"What are you saying then?"

"I don't entirely know, I still need to run tests on him between the surgeries," she answered after taking a drink. "However, as of now, he has no clue about what the Hōgyoku has done to his body and soul. I plan on explaining it to him, it wouldn't be fair to keep in the dark, but only _after_ I learned more about it. I don't want to get his hopes up or risk crushing them."

"Is that why you won't let us see him?"

"That is part of it. Until we learn more about the Hōgyoku's power now that it's fused with him, he is a danger. We've had to set up powerful spell tags and circles around his bed just so he doesn't accidentally release a large amount of reiatsu."

"Reiatsu?"

"His spiritual powers. They're very unstable, having never learned to control them due to never even knowing he had them. As of now, the only ones who could possibly be near him if he were to be taken from the seals would be a select few I picked aside myself and Digi-san."

"You said it was part of the reason though, for us not to see him. What's the other part?" Roger asked, setting his cup down.

"You need to understand that he has sustained not only a great deal of physical pain from the surgeries, but dealt with psychological damage as well. Far more than any normal human should endure."

"How bad is he?"

"When I first found him as well as the others, he had attempted suicide…"

"He…he what? Why would he do that?" Vanessa nearly shouted, horrified by what she heard, almost not believing it.

"I used my abilities to peer into his mind," the redhead sighed softly, setting her cup down, a visible frown on her face. "He didn't want the enemies to have that power, wanting to end it all. And if I were in his shoes, I would have very likely have done the same thing too."

"Oh my god," Charlene gasped, covering her mouth, "Heinz…"

"Right now, I haven't sensed any suicidal thoughts in him since I last saw him. It appears he was only willing to attempt ending his life because he believed it would stop a madman from hurting the people he was with."

"But he's still very unstable?"

"Exactly, from what I had been told, when they were severing his nerves, the leading surgeon didn't use any anesthesia. That alone would make his mind fragile because of the excruciating pain."

"W-what…they…they made him suffer? Made him feel _everything_ while on their way to make him feel nothing?" Mr. Doofenshmirtz nearly shouted, covering his mouth, eyes wide with horror. "What kind of twisted animals would do this to _my_ son?"

"Very _evil_ ones as I stated before. I only know a couple who did this and I plan on making them pay with their very lives for what they did."

"I must ask…how _did_ he try to end his life? If he could not feel, he must not have been able to move," Mrs. Doofenshmirtz asked, clearly upset at the news, but also held doubt with the woman's words.

"How could you even _ask_ that, Mother?" Roger snapped at the woman, looking upset with her. "Your own _son_ has been suffering for who knows how long and your worried about something like _that_?"

"I don't know fully myself, but what could be seen; only the nerves for touch have been severed along with his vocal cords. He can still smell and may very well still taste, but I can't be certain without asking him, if he is even sure himself. He also has other motor skills, meaning he could still walk, but it would be like trying to walk on two legs that have fallen asleep."

"So he somehow was able to walk?"

"It appears so; I can only guess right now that with the mind being as powerful as it is fragile, his instincts to move stayed. While he couldn't feel, his instincts drove him to move his body, to get up and actually walk. If he hadn't, my otōto and I would not have sensed him fast enough when he became enraged."

"Enraged?"

"The man who attacked, who came to take Heinz-kun back, he also planned on raping a couple of young girls."

"He stopped that man right? Please tell me he stopped that man," Vanessa begged the older woman.

"He did, I was told that he somehow got a picture from a wall and threw it at the bastard's head, stopping him from advancing further onto the girl."

"Thank god," the teen sighed with relief, bitter tears flowing down her face.

"Heinz-kun has been through ordeals no being should _ever_ go through, regardless of who and what they are. He is going to need all of you for support, more so when he learns about the Hōgyoku's status. He may or may not make another attempt at his life, I cannot be certain," the redhead explained solemnly.

"What do you mean?" Mr. Doofenshmirtz asked, not liking how it sounded.

"He may make another attempt, out of fear of causing more harm, not realizing he could still be helped. Just because the Hōgyoku has fused with him, doesn't mean there isn't a way to safely remove it. Once I find such a method, I've deemed it safe; I _will_ have it done to save him."

"But until then, he would have to learn how to control it. that is, if he doesn't think about suicide," Vanessa muttered softly, feeling so numb.

"Hai, while the risk of him attempting to end his life is high, there is hope to help him aside from your support."

"Really?"

"Hai, one of my daughters, Orihime. She's been tending to Heinz-kun, using telepathy to speak with him, to learn about him."

"Did he bond with her or something?"

"Somewhat, he's still very wary, and I don't blame him after all he's gone through," the redhead replied with a tiny smile forming at her next words. "No, it isn't Orihime that I feel will help him. I believe the people he had been staying with, Perry-kun, those children, they may be of help."

"If they can help my dad heal, I don't mind them hanging around. If Perry's the same as I remember him…personality wise, then he'd be perfect. He and Dad really seem to care about each other despite how often they fight."

"That is what I'm hoping, but there is also a pair of boys he's grown fond of as well. From what I was told, they remind him of himself a little, these boys being inventors as well."

"Really?" Roger whispered softly, hoping that they may get a silver lining than these heavy black clouds looming over.

"There's one other thing I'd like to mention, it somewhat relates with Heinz, but more who would be near him."

"What do you mean?"

"There's a little girl who has bonded with Perry-kun and his family, with their friends as well as Heinz-kun. You need to be especially careful around her, whether you interact with her or not."

"What's so special about her?" Charlene asked, unsure whether to take the warning seriously or not.

"She is known as a diclinous, a race of evolved humans. I could explain more about them, but to cut it short, she'll be very noticeable when you do get to visit if not sooner. Also, she has a unique gift that makes her very dangerous."

"How old is this child?"

"She's only five, but it isn't her age I only worry about, it's what she's _capable_ of that worries me most."

* * *

_***1 Neiora kovora niso Gehenna! = By damned gates of Gehenna!**_

_**Please read and review**_


	36. Chapter 36

Things felt slow, everyone having to adjust to what happened, Phineas and his family being properly introduced to Perry's boss and Doofenshmirtz's family as well.

Ferb and Vanessa were both surprised to learn their connection with Perry, but went with it, though the boy was still depressed.

It took great effort for him, for those who lost their families to pull out of their depression enough to know they aren't alone.

"So this is Melody, huh?" the boy's crush asked, seeing the little girl stand behind Candace nervously. "She's really adorable."

"Thanks," the other teen smiled bitterly, patting the girl on the shoulder. "Melody, why don't you go see if Phineas wants to play? I'm sure he and the others would appreciate a game that doesn't involve getting lost here."

"Okay," the diclinous whispered, still unsure before locating the mop of red hair, managing to convince him to play.

"Seems she's the only reason he can smile still," Vanessa commented when see how he lit up some as did others.

"Yeah, Melody just seemed to attach herself to Phineas. She looks up to him and Ferb as if they really are her brothers."

"Doesn't she look up to you too?"

"She does, guess you could say I see her as my little sister. I know deep down, if Mom and Dad were here, they'd adopt her on the spot. They'd love her, horns or no horns; she's just a little girl."

"Candace, I'm so sorry about them."

"It isn't your fault, our world; our dimension just drew that unlucky straw…"

"If I may ask, how was my dad doing? When you guys found him?"

"Mr. Doofenshmirtz?" the redhead inquired before remembering their relation with each other. "Right, well he was pretty bad off. I wasn't there when Perry, Phineas, Ferb, and Isabella _first_ found him. I only saw him when he and Perry were brought to the hospital for possible hypothermia."

"What happened?"

"Somehow he fell out of a wormhole or something and landed in a river. He's just really lucky we were nearly out of winter. The water there really likes freezing itself, Phineas and the kids loved ice skating because of it."

"And he's luckier Perry and the others were there to see him."

"Perry recognized him, despite how he looked and jumped into the water and saved him. It really was a miracle."

"Ms. Panthera…Caitlin I mean, she told me that he can't feel anything."

"Yeah, that's what a doctor said when we were visiting them after all that. Yet despite it, he's able to still move, a little, but not much. The most was when…"

"Candace?"

"Sorry, it's…"

"You were almost raped, weren't you?" Vanessa asked, her face serious, grabbing the other girl's hands.

"H-how did you know?" she stuttered, silently grateful any who were around weren't close to overhear.

Not even Phineas and Perry know about this, both having blacked out from the pain they were in. She barely convinced Jeremy, Ferb, and Isabella not to tell anyone, not wanting to scare them more than they were, _are_ already.

"Caitlin told us a bit about what happened, but she didn't give names. She merely wanted to fill us in on what was going on with my dad, physically and mentally."

"I guess that's understandable…"

"Candace, I can't say I know what you went through, but know that I'm here. And I know that Stacy would if you were to tell her. I'm not the most social girl, but even _I_ know bottling something like this isn't healthy, so promise me you won't, okay?"

"Thanks, I wasn't planning on tell the whole world or anything, but I wasn't going to bottle that up either. Caitlin gave me the same speech, though without the antisocial part," the redhead half teased, seeing the other pout a little.

"That's good to know at least."

"That and I saw what it does through Perry. I don't want to say what he went through; I'd rather leave that for him to share when he feels it. But the secrets he kept, the biggest really being about the chances of us not having families to return to, not having a dimension to return to. _That_ was really killing him. The only ones he told about that were Jeremy and me, no one else."

"When did he tell them?"

"It was when Phineas had told Melody about where we're really from, wanting to take her home. To think that it turned out true, huh?"

"Candace…"

Tears began to form in the girl's eyes, cupping her hands over her face, soft sobs wracking through her. Vanessa almost timidly rubbed her back, unsure if it would help or make things worse.

As they continued to talk, Jeremy was sitting by one of the koi ponds, his sister by his side along with the poodle.

He stared at his reflection, still guilt ridden over what almost became of Candace, realizing just how pathetic he is.

"Does she even deserve me?" he half growled, burying his face into his hands, knees drawn up.

"Jeremy?" Suzy whispered, grabbing her brother's attention. "What's wrong?"

"You're too young to understand," he half growled, hating how he sounded when seeing her flinch from his tone. "Suzy, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to sound like that. Things have been really stressful for me, for everyone."

"But it isn't anymore. You're back with us, our house is gone, but we can get a new one."

"You guys are alive, but what about Candace and her brothers? What about Buford? Baljeet even? Their families are gone. It doesn't seem to be fair. What did they do to deserve that?"

A little taken back by this, Suzy was silent, part of wanting to say something mean, about Candace and maybe Buford too. Yet she couldn't, realizing it would be way out of line. Despite how much she doesn't like them, there's a fine line between being a bully and being downright cruel.

No, she didn't want to go down that kind of path, risk losing her brother's affection, being found out what kind of person she is.

Seems she'll have to suck it up and be sympathetic, at least until they've recovered and can resume her normal tactics.

"Candace has _you_ though, doesn't she?"

"But I couldn't protect her; I just lied there, listening…" he started, almost revealing what transpired, quieting up immediately. "I'm sorry, I need some time alone."

Suzy wanted to follow, but couldn't bring herself as her brother took off running, leaving her to sit, knees drawn up to look at the pretty fish, her dog curled up by her.

"Jeremy…"

The blonde ran out of the yard, going down several streets, losing track of where he was, not that he cared right now. Somehow someone will notice his absence and manage to locate him through using this reiatsu he's heard about.

"Slow down kid!" a voice called out, barely grabbing his shirt and jacket, stopping him before he ran right over a pit. "Are you trying to get yourself killed?"

"I…what the hell is a _pit_ doing in the middle of a street?" Jeremy started before a burst of anger of its location came over him.

"It's a former execution ground. It was meant to be filled up, but it's become rather useful for training and occasionally trapping trespassers inside."

"What?"

"Oh, right, you're one of those humans brought in recently. What are you doing out so far?"

By this time, Jeremy looked up, seeing a red haired man, recognizing him as one of the people who worked for that other man, Byakuya.

"I don't really know. I just started to run…"

Eyes softening, Renji loosened his grip on the kid's shirt, "Come on, you can tell me. It can be between us, kay?"

Feeling a bit ashamed of his earlier actions, he nodded, the two making their way back, the blonde explaining what happened.

"I see, you're afraid your girlfriend won't care about you?"

"Not so much that, I just feel so damn pathetic. I couldn't protect her from that sick bastard!"

"From what I found out, I don't think _anyone_ really could because of those drugged balls. If that bastard hadn't used them, you may have been able to distract him long enough, maybe even take him out if you're pissed enough. I know I would if it had been Kuchiki-teichō in that position, or Rukia, anyone I care about really."

"Maybe, but Perry was able to still walk. It took almost five of those things to bring him down."

"He was probably running on adrenaline and based on what happened to him, the first couple were likely nothing compared to what he went through."

"Right…"

"If you'd like, if you're worried about not being able to protect your girl, I'm sure I can shirk away and teach you a few things."

"What? Really?"

"Why not? May not be anything overly fancy, but I can teach you a few basic sword moves, predicting things if possible. Maybe even some kidō if you're lucky."

"Th-that'd be great, thank you so much, Renji!"

"Alright kid, let's get you back and I'll talk to Kuchiki-teichō about teaching you, kay?" he grinned as they made their way back to the estate.

With Phineas and the kids, they were currently playing a game of tag, albeit more tamed than what the other kids played.

"You're it!" a pink haired girl giggled, slapping her hand on Buford's back.

"Seriously?" he groaned as he tried to take after her, only to watch her bounce up the wall. "That's cheating!"

"Whoops, gomen!" she laughed as she raced along the rooftops before jumping down, leaving him in the dust.

Eventually he caught up, seeing the mop of pink hair, not focusing if it was the girl or Melody, grabbing the shoulder.

"Ha!" he laughed proudly, the diclinous girl pouting as she watched him take off.

Despite her advantage with her vectors, she restrained herself from using them other than on those who may bend the rules, so evens the playing field with them. But with the others, she plays normally.

Running about, she threw herself into the arms of a blonde haired man, knocking him down with a grunt, his hat falling.

"S-sorry, thought you were one of my friends," she apologized when taking notice who she tackled.

"No problem, you're one of the kids Caitlin-san brought?"

"Y-yes."

"Don't worry; I'm not going to hurt you. I'm Kisuke, Urahara Kisuke," he greeted, helping her back to her feet while grabbing his hat.

"I'm Melody."

"How you feeling?"

"Better I guess…" she answered, wishing one of her friends were here, Phineas and Ferb especially.

"Something wrong?"

Still unsure if it was right to talk to him, she decided it couldn't be that bad, he knows that nice woman who took care of them when they were hurt. So he can't be bad, can he? He isn't like that creepy man covered in paint.

"I'm worried about my friends," she admitted softly, playing the edge of her shirt.

"I'm guessing you're talking about the ones who lost loved ones?"

Given a nod, he gave her a sad look, gently patting her head, mindful of her horns, seeing as tears began to form in her eyes.

"What's going to happen to them? Are they going to stay together or taken away, never to see each other again?"

"Caitlin-san won't let that happen. Knowing her, she's likely going to find someone who can take all of you in so you can stay together. And if she can't, then she'll do it herself."

"Really?"

"Of course, I don't know her as well as her kids, but I know enough to see she's very kind. She isn't the type to abandon people, something I see in her kids and any she acts as a guardian over."

"What about that girl though?"

"Girl?"

"The one the bad man had? The one he cut up, she isn't here, I don't sense her."

"I'm sure she tried to rescue that girl and will continue doing so. Caitlin-san's extremely stubborn and hardheaded, literally."

"Is she a good mom though? I saw that boy, with the mean sounding kitty sometimes scowl at her. Aren't they related?"

"Ichigo-kun? He usually looks like that, but they are close. They had a _mild_ falling out when he got his memories back, but he's better. One good fight and they're back to being friends."

"That's weird."

"Families usually are."

"Mr. Urahara?"

"Call me Kisuke, calling me mister makes me sound like some old man," the blonde joked, the little girl giggling.

"Thank you for cheering me up, Kisuke," she smiled, "Umm…would you like to play tag with me and my friends?"

"Why not? Got nothing better to do," he laughed, before getting poked in the shoulder, seeing her running off.

"You're It then! And rules are no special powers!" she laughed as she ran off, the man smiling when seeing how much happier she looked.

He can only assume what she meant was no leaping across buildings or using insane speeding seeing she wasn't using her vectors to flee from him.

"Kids really are something," he chuckled softly.

* * *

_**Please read and review**_


	37. Chapter 37

More weeks passed by before turning to months, the Doofenshmirtz waiting anxiously on word regarding Heinz.

Vanessa lied under the covers of her futon, tossing and turning, becoming more worried about her father. She tried so hard to hide her worry at least from the younger kids, letting it slip with Candace and obviously telling Perry.

She could tell the former platypus really cared about her father, seeing how he worried over him too. Hearing him going through surgeries to restore his nerves and fix his vocal cords, it was frightening.

Soon birds could be heard chirping, the teenager groaning softly that another wasted night of restless sleep going by.

Getting up, she changed into some clothes loaned to her from that man, Byakuya, stating it was something he felt suited her, having them tailored for her and her family.

Despite looking so serious, he was a pretty cool guy, bit of a stickler for rules, but willing to break them if there is just cause.

Taking the familiar path that'd lead to the main room to eat breakfast, knowing others will be there. She spotted servants going in and out to set the table and ensure things were clean and in order.

"Vanessa-san?" a voice spoke up, making her turn around to see a small petite girl, remembering she's Byakuya's sister.

"Oh, hi, Rukia," she greeted, stifling a yawn.

"You know, if you're having trouble sleeping, you could speak with Okāsan. I'm sure she would have something to give you or news to tell about your otōsan."

"I guess, but it's hard to know where she is."

"That's true, I forget that you're new here along with the others, yet I know her as well as I know my Zanpakutō."

"So any clue to give if I were to track your mom down?"

"She hasn't changed much, so you could find her either at the Fourth or Twelfth Divisions being both a doctor and scientist. Just be sure to ask for Rin-kun if you _do_ visit the Twelfth to avoid Mayuri-teichō."

"And if she's not there?"

"Just listen to fight noises that aren't from the Eleventh or check the local shops that have food."

"She really likes food?"

"Not all, but a good portion," Rukia laughed, causing the other to laugh as well. "She mostly stuffs her face with sweets. But I've heard she's gained great fondness over things like pizza, yet she still hates tomatoes with a passion."

That point, Vanessa couldn't hold back a laugh, trying to imagine the redhead's face if given a slice with the stuff spread or plopped on.

"What kind of person loves pizza, yet hates tomato sauce?" she asked between laughs, holding her sides.

"Okāsan for starters, but knowing some of my otōtos, they would too."

"All of you really look up to her, don't you?"

"Of course we do, she may not be perfect, but not only did she raise us, but respect us. She taught us what we needed to know and wanted to learn to get where we are. She respected our decisions, respected who we loved or wished to marry."

"Wish my dad could be more like that. I mean, he loves me and all, I know that, but he doesn't really see me as a fellow adult. He actually once vaporized a guy because he flirted with me when we were driving to a store."

"I see, well some parents _are_ like that. Okāsan likely would do the same, more for her sons than her daughters. Not out of favoritism, but because they're more susceptible to being abused. Some she put stricter rules over to keep them safe either due to their frailness of body or mind, or their age."

"Really?"

"Hai, one of the first things she taught us personally was to respect cultures, which in turn may mean a change in our actions."

"What do you mean?"

"Some cultures are strict with their young and find it insulting to those visiting with families bearing unruly offspring. They would literally take those families and teach the parents how to properly discipline them, using the children as examples."

"That's awful."

"It is, it scared a lot of my otōtos, so many rarely went with Okāsan when she needed to visit other worlds, be it treaties or trade. The few who did, were those who had better control over their actions or were at an age where despite being an offspring are considered an adult."

"So if he acted inappropriately in their eyes, they can't really do anything?"

"They could, but they can't drag any of the younger boys into the punishment."

"So which member of the family do you consider the black sheep?" Vanessa asked with a smirk, seeing her smiling as well.

"I suppose it would be Raptor, but not by much really. The most she does that drives us crazy is walking around without a shirt on, bra included."

"So you have a pseudo nudist in the family?"

"Booze guzzling, fight loving, pseudo nudist to be exact."

"Seriously?"

"I'm serious, Raptor really loves to fight, be it with her fists, or locking horns if she used her shape shifting."

"Locking horns?"

"She's the only one without a feline form despite being born in the family. She has this strange genetic makeup where she instead shape shifts into any known ancient reptile, specifically Earth's dinosaurs."

"That's actually cool, so that's where her name came from? She turned into a velociraptor or something?"

"That's exactly correct, shape shifted into one a few hours after birth and wreaked havoc in the nursery. Okāsan came in, caught her, calmed her down, named her, and that's pretty much it."

"But if she can shape shift into dinosaurs though, that means her clothes tear, is that where she gets the issue with clothes?"

"Hai, she feels it's a waste to wear them if they're going to get ripped up. Normally when a Caterian shifts form, they can make the clothes briefly fade away. But being she's not an ordinary one, hers don't, they rip and tear apart depending what form she takes and usually likes to go big."

"Must've been hard for her growing up though? She must've done a lot of accidental shape shifting until she got proper control."

"Until we found out that gold, for whatever reason, hinders that ability, so to keep her losing control, mostly when she blows a temper, she wears gold. As a child, she wore a bracelet, but when she was fifteen, had a breastplate made. It would hook over her shoulders and wear that as her top instead, but easy to toss aside when she needs to take on a form."

"That's actually pretty smart."

"Hai, just glad she's wearing pants still, lot of our otōtos would get embarrassed if they see her walking around half or fully nude. Especially those adopted."

"I can only imagine, but fact your mom lets her be like this, she must still be a good person."

"She is, she's never raised a hand, even when completely wasted towards any of us in some drunken rage. Of course, she has a high tolerance, so it's rare for her to get to that state."

"How old is she now?"

"You could say she's nineteen in human terms. I can't be certain though; Okāsan didn't tell us how she even found her, if she even did."

"And she drinks?"

"Secretly started when she was fourteen and been hooked. Okāsan tried to make her quit when she found out and wait until she was of a more respectable age, but she wouldn't listen. She _did _promise however to ensure our otōtos didn't take it up without knowing what it does first and are at least her age or older to handle it."

"Has to be one of your more _interesting _sisters, huh?"

"She sure is," the raven haired girl spoke before others showed up as dishes were being set up.

"Rukia?"

"Hmm?"

"Thanks for talking, after we eat, I might try looking for you mom. It'd be nice to know how my dad's doing."

"Sure, I could go with you if you'd like to make tracking her down easier."

"That'd be nice not to get lost here."

After breakfast, the two headed out, Rukia leading Vanessa towards where she sensed her mother's presence.

Eventually it led them to the Fourth Division, the woman having been on the move, bouncing between it and the Twelfth. Occasionally she would stop at a few sweet shops, then finally settling at the Fourth.

"Might be prepping your dad for…" the raven haired girl started before the redhead appeared, smiling, likely having sensed them following.

"Rukia, think you could get everyone connected to Heinz-kun?" she asked kindly, her smile not once fading.

Immediately, she nodded before taking off to find everyone, leaving Vanessa alone with the redhead.

"Come sit while we wait," she offered, taking a chair, patting the other seat down.

Doing so, she walked over, feeling her hands beginning to shake.

"Is my dad okay?"

"He's more than okay, we've just finished the last of the surgeries, he'll need to go through rehab to get used to walking and talking again, but he's fine."

"What about that thing inside him?"

At that, the smile faded to a small frown, "I'm afraid we can't remove it still, it's completely fused into his soul. But to make hiding it easier, to avoid Aizen and more importantly, Darkness from finding it _or_ him, I did a few spells. It's now more hidden under the skin, and a few seals I had carefully etched into his rib cage."

"What?"

"Hear me out," she spoke, seeing the girl's anger. "I did it so it can't be felt or tracked. It can't hide his reiatsu or if he were to unseal it himself with his own will, but while it's hidden beneath his skin, it can't be found. It cannot be found on scanners, and as I said, it can't be found through sensing it. I'm hoping by doing so, it'll trick them into thinking that we might have found a way to remove it and have hidden it somewhere, leaving him free."

"Can those seals be seen? On his ribs I mean?"

"Hai, it was the only way to ensure they would work, but had to make a secondary seal so the bones wouldn't heal them over. So in a sense, his ribs are _scarred,_ but done for his safety than to torment him."

"When did you do that?"

"Last week, when determining we couldn't remove the Hōgyoku. We won't stop though in searching and if we find a way, we'll not only remove it, but undo those seals."

"You can do that?"

"I wasn't named the strongest sorcerous in the universe for nothing," Caitlin joked, seeing the teenager look a little better. "Gomen'nasai, for not informing you or your family much on his progress. But we couldn't take chances until we were completely done and ensured he'd be okay."

"The surgeries were hard?"

"One of the hardest Digi-san and I have ever had done. It would have gone faster if I could have had my daughter here to help, but she has her hands full. I couldn't bear to disrupt her, put her and the others in unnecessary risk."

"Are they in danger?"

"To some extent, where they are is dangerous, but so far have evaded detection."

"What happened?"

"Ever heard of the movie, Invasion of the Body Snatchers?"

"Yeah?"

"Think something like that. Li, Sakura, everyone got tossed into such a world thanks to a dimensional storm. They would have left right away, but found out these specific aliens work for Darkness."

"So they're trying to stop them?"

"Hai, by a stroke of luck, their weaknesses matched what they specialize in, water and fire, so it makes fighting them easy. They're just trying to clear enough away to slow them down and locate their home world for a proper team to come in."

"Will they kill them all?"

"If they _all_ retaliate, they will, but if there are some who don't or fight against their own kind, will be taken and moved to a safe zone."

"That's really amazing, I would have thought a full genocide would have been done, with the excuse of maintaining peace."

"Some worlds, you have no choice, _but_ to wipe them completely out. But if there is a chance to save some who haven't fallen to Darkness' control, there's no need to wipe them from existence. No species is perfect, it may look that way to some, but it isn't."

"Makes you wish more were like that?"

"There are, some just haven't discovered it yet."

"Huh?"

"Future generations, there will always be one or two who will cause a ripple, changing history not only amongst their own, but the universe itself. We may not all get written down in history books or spoken of in lore, but we're still there regardless. It could be something as small as saving an insect that later ends up as a savior or curse, either devouring those hurting or doing the act themselves. No one would know who saved that little insect…"

"But results remain either way. That's really deep when you think about it."

As they talked some more, bodies appeared, brought in either by Rukia or others she grabbed to help with the roundup.

Once everyone was gathered, Caitlin stood up, informing them of Heinz's condition. She told them the same thing she told her what was done regarding the Hōgyoku imbedded inside.

Some were upset as Vanessa was, but calmed when explained, even adding that Heinz knew, having been told this. Every decision made, he was informed or agreed upon, showing her compassion not to leave him in the dark.

Soon after, she guided them all to his room, having been moved to a private room, surprising them how well furnished it was.

Due to what happened, much was prepared for him, such as his physical rehabilitation with bars and crutches, cane and wheelchair. A pool wasn't that far from the room, explained that when he starts to move better, he would be taken there to work on strengthening his muscles further.

He would be put onto a rather strict diet, one that wouldn't conflict with his culture, having been asked between surgeries. The meals though he would receive would be different than what one would expect as they would not only help his body regain proper nutrition, but be reiatsu infused as well.

When asked, Caitlin explained that with his increased reiatsu, he would need to replenish it, as it would have a greater effect on his being than muscle strength alone. If his reiatsu becomes weak, he would become weak.

Without much explanation given, they knew that not only would he be going through various therapies to help him walk and talk again, but control his reiatsu.

Candace knew, recalling feeling fatigued when Heinz became enraged before falling unconscious. She could only assume Ferb and Isabella did as well, possibly the others, explaining why they remained knocked out so long.

As the redheaded woman explained all this, the man in question was in the room, sleeping. He was still rather heavily drugged from the last surgery performed, though as the voices continued, he began to stir.

Hearing them, his eyelids began twitching, struggling to open before doing so, squinting when the light hurt…

_"Hurt? I really _can_ feel again,"_ he muttered in his thoughts, feeling himself smile, tears starting to fall.

Who knew it could feel so good to cry, not in sorrow, but in joy?

"Heinz-kun, you have guests," Caitlin's voice called out, making him force his head to turn, more from the grogginess than anything.

He could feel everything, having been told that for a while, with some medication, he will be more sensitive, but it'll drop to a more normal level within a few days.

Spotting Perry and the kids, he smiled brighter, the kids smiling just as brightly when seeing his reaction.

"You're almost all better!" Melody squealed with joy, bouncing up and down, barely held back from tackling him into a hug.

"We're really happy that you're out of those surgeries now, it must've been exhausting, huh?" Phineas added, not expecting any form of verbal response any time soon, not from what he and the others were told.

"D-Dad?"

Blue eyes widened, hearing that voice, locating it to a familiar face, more tears forming, falling quickly.

"V-Vanessa?" he whispered, not realizing he even spoke, shock overwhelming his senses as he took in his daughter.

She hardly looked different, still dressed mostly in black, hair still long, though instead of the indifferent look, her face was filled with relief, tears staining her cheeks.

"Dad!" she cried out, unable to hold up the façade of her actions, throwing herself into his arms before any could stop her, sobbing into him. "I almost gave up hope that you were alive. I almost did then Caitlin appeared and told me you were, I thought I was dreaming the whole thing. I missed you so much!"

It was almost like his fantasy of reuniting, albeit instead of walking, he's in bed, but he didn't care. His baby girl's alive, she's holding him, both crying in relief for each other's safety.

With unknown strength, he managed to lift his arm up, draping it around her, hugging her back.

"He's full of surprises," Caitlin commented softly, standing next to Perry, a tearful smile on her face. "The moving I expected, but talking _this_ soon?"

"I'm not surprised, Heinz is like that, doing things you don't expect half the time, things he doesn't even expect," the former agent replied with a choked sob. "Caitlin, thank you so much."

"Hmm?"

"For being who you are, being so kind, sparing his life than casting aside, or possibly killing him because of what he did and what he was made into. You've reunited him with his family, doing so much to care for him so he'll be able to be back on his feet again. You've even helped us, giving us all a place to stay until Heinz recovered. I can't thank you enough for all that nor know how to repay such a thing."

"You were all close, it wouldn't be right to separate you so quickly after reuniting. Once Heinz-kun is able to walk without assistance of any form and shown how to control the Hōgyoku to some degree, we'll have all of you moved to a safe zone. As for paying me back, just living and being happy is more than enough."

"What about Peter and Nerea?"

"We're still searching for them, but it's dangerous to let you stay here longer than you have. Darkness and her soldiers aren't likely to attack with so many here, but that doesn't mean she won't or hasn't before."

"I see…"

"But I promise you, once we find them, we will get them fixed up and sent to where you are. I'll personally see to it."

"I swear you're some sort of angel."

"It's the wings, isn't it?" she joked, making him laugh in return.

"Maybe it is," he joked back.

* * *

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	38. Chapter 38

Since the completion of the surgeries and a couple weeks of basic therapy to help him get used to moving, he began to get visitors daily.

What more, they could visit any time they wish, day or night, dinner or breakfast, wherever they feel they need to see him and he's awake, which he usually is. It was partly due to the medication keeping him up, but was given some herbal tea that would help him get his sleep patterns on a more normal scale. He was even given some books he could read when it is time to sleep to relax.

An entire shelf was filled near his bed, filled with books, most being ones he enjoyed as well as others they figured he may enjoy. And they were quite right, the few he didn't read were more being out of reach or were science related and it gave bad memories. Maybe one day he'll think about his passion for inventing, but for now, it continues to sicken him, so puts it in the back of his mind.

He got constantly checked over if not physically, mentally, seeing how he's doing reading wise for other languages.

When he couldn't talk, thanks to Orihime, Caitlin even using telepathy to converse, they learned about the pills. To say the least, the older woman wasn't happy to know her and her friend's invention had been stolen.

How it happened, they weren't sure, but would find out, the first thing being to examine _all_ who were part of the process prior to his kidnapping. If there was a chance of a spy, they need to be found immediately.

Aside from that, he continued his therapies, finding himself walking more and more, the muscles in his body getting stronger. What he didn't know, is that his speedy recovery is due to the Hōgyoku inside him.

Heinz also began to talk more, mostly short sentences from lack of use, but it was more than enough to show that he hasn't forgotten.

He shared these moments with those who visited him, particularly his favorites such as his daughter, Perry, the agent's family as well as Melody.

He really grew to liking them, Phineas especially, thanking him for when he read to him when he couldn't talk or feel. Ferb, while quiet, was a lively boy in his own right, figuring out his crush on Vanessa, yet he didn't feel like blasting him away. He got to know the boy, so knew if something _were_ to form between them, he'd support it.

Same if something formed between his daughter and Monogram's boy. He had been told how Monty believed in her that he was alive, helping her keep that faith and stayed by her side, comforting her. He couldn't help but respect him greatly for such loyalty and compassion.

There were some though he _wasn't_ too thrilled seeing, such as Rodney, torn between being grateful he was alive to frowning that he was. It was the same with his family, mostly his mother since she was still indifferent as ever, though his father, even Roger were overjoyed at his survival.

Charlene too was relieved to see he was alive, but at the same time, not all that interested. She hardly visited as did his mother, or even his once fellow villains.

Well, if they're not going to give a damn about him, the he just won't worry about it unless the others get worried.

Deciding that, he stuck to his regime, soon enough finding himself almost back to his fit form before having the surgeries done, when he was held captive.

He was honestly grateful for that, more so when he was helped into swimming trunks and start swimming.

Caitlin often led this exercise, using her shadow manipulation to hold him in the water without smothering him. They were loose enough so he had to work to stay afloat, but if he simply couldn't or suddenly fainted, she would pull him out instantly.

First few times is what happened, having to rest for nearly a day before trying again with same result. After the tenth or so try, he began to last longer in the water, the woman using fewer shadows to support him.

It was still a long way before he could do laps around a pool, but fact he's staying afloat with little help is a huge thing.

After returning to his bed, freshly bathed after another swimming session, Caitlin having left to change as well, he pulled out a book he was currently engrossed in.

His room was really amazing, almost like a bedroom than a recovery room despite some of the equipment set up. He had a gorgeous view of the outdoors, watching pink petals from the cherry trees blow about.

There was the shelf with the books mentioned before, set close enough for him to fetch without crossing the entire room.

A door set up so if he wanted to and had the strength, could go outside to relax than stay indoors. So long as he didn't leave the Fourth Division, he was free to go wherever he pleased.

Eventually he heard the door open, glancing up to see the redhead, noticing she had a tray in hand. Already his mouth watered, smell the delicious food protected under those covers. Whoever the chefs are making these meals are geniuses!

"Hey, how you feeling?" she asked with a smile as he put the book away, sitting up more.

"Much better, I swear I'm healing faster than I should though," he admitted, mostly when flexing his hand, staring at it.

"I noticed that, I suspect the Hōgyoku has a hand in that."

"Same," he sighed softly.

"We're still looking for a way, so don't give up hope," she comforted, patting his shoulder as she set the tray down.

"I know, but I worry if they find out it's still inside me… I don't want to put Perry, his family or mine, or the others in danger."

"I completely understand, I would feel the same if it were me."

"Caitlin?"

"What is it?"

"How powerful _is_ this Hōgyoku?"

"I'm not certain, but the fact Darkness has an interest in it, it must be extremely powerful. It has similarities with the Silver Crystals my son and a family friend bear, but far more chaotic than pure."

"Is that why it was made? These crystals were _too_ pure for her to wield?"

"That's what I suspect."

"You think it's strong enough to destroy her?"

"Maybe, but I can't say for certain. Just it alone unleashes vast amounts of power, I could barely hold myself up when we were working on you. Right now, your body is keeping it in check. Why are you asking me?"

"I know I just found my family, found out my daughter's alive, but…"

"Heinz-kun, don't."

"Why not? You need all the help to fight her, the strongest weapons and spells to counter hers!"

"You have a family to look after."

"I hate to say it, but Vanessa is old enough to fend for herself if something _were_ to happen to me."

"I'm not talking about her alone. You've become a parental figure to those kids too, especially those boys and Melody. They love you so much, it would destroy them if you left so soon after recovering."

"I know, but it doesn't feel right going into hiding, having something that might actually seal or maybe _destroy_ this Darkness."

"Heinz-kun, you _honestly_ need to think about this. If you _do_ enter this war, you will see things far worse than you had when Aizen had you. You'll endure things far worse or witness those suffering worse. You would need to undergo serious training to ready your body for all sorts of combat styles. You would need to be given drugs and have spells used on you to ensure your body can handle potentially fatal wounds."

"I know, but something _inside_ me tells me I won't die from such injuries. Before I even got this thing put in me, I got hit with things that probably _should_ have killed me. I've had things blow up, set me on fire, electrocute, get trampled and much more. Sure, it hurts like hell and may be in the hospital for a few days, maybe a week or two at most, but I don't get killed."

"Maybe so, but I still want you to think about this. War is not easy, it never is and it is something I greatly despise."

"Then why do you fight?"

"Because I would hate myself for not doing something to ensure not only balance between light and dark, but my children and grandchildren have a safe future. It's impossible to wipe out evil completely, but Darkness is something that _needs_ to be wiped out, her and her siblings, general even. They are causing a shift, trying to push the darkness into the light, destroying the balance."

"So you represent the light?"

"Yes and no."

"What do you mean?"

"What represents both light and dark?"

"I don't get what you mean."

"Shadows, it is neither dark nor light, but in between. It is the barrier that keeps the light from flooding the dark and the dark overwhelming the light. I am one of many who fight in the shadows. We maintain that barrier, maintain such a balance. It is where those who may never be truly innocent can fight for what they believe, redeeming themselves even."

"Rather interesting way to put it, sounds like right up my alley," Heinz joked bitterly, recalling his previous profession.

Placing a hand on his shoulder, a sad look in her eyes despite the smile on her face, he looked at her.

She never treated him as a normal patient, more like he was one of her sons, the way she speaks and how protective she is over him, over so many. Then again, with her age, with how old she _truly_ is in spirit, it's of no surprise.

"As I said, think about it, and if you are determined to stay and fight, please tell your family at least. I know it may be tough, but they have the right to know what you are planning. Think about them first; your daughter nearly gave up hope, your father and brother thought you were gone, and to some extent, your mother and ex-wife were worried too. Those kids lost their parents, and you somewhat filled the role of a father, something they desperately need right now."

Looking down at his lap, feeling somewhat ashamed of his earlier actions, he felt her pull him in, hugging him.

"I'll think about it, tell them even, to see what they think. You are right, they _do_ have the right to know. I've done enough to hurt them without saying anything when I couldn't, I don't want to do that when I _can_ speak."

"Domo arigatō."

He used that time to really think, occasionally asking Orihime how she handled all the fighting.

Despite her youthful appearance, being she _is_ technically young, she was far wiser, someone he trusted his thoughts to aside Caitlin.

He told her not to sugarcoat things, to know how she _really_ felt, her understanding why, so told him at least the wars on Cateria.

They were horrific, yet hearing the determination and hope in her that one day the fighting may stop, if not in her time, it would in the next generation.

So many things happened that were good, namely when this brother of hers was born. He had been supposedly prophesized to one day assume leadership over the entire universe, ushering in an age of peace.

He asked her about that, a little surprised, listening to the tale.

It wasn't just any normal prophecy, just called that from how it looked, but the evidence led more of past Caterians or some other being having high psychic abilities. And by using those abilities, foresaw the future enough to have it written down and later found and translated by archeological teams.

But it wasn't just that, but within those ancient words, it spoke of great leaders, revealed to be _actual_ leaders representing various galaxies and key species.

They made a choice that someone would be chosen to assume leadership over the universe, but unsure entirely how.

The closest they got was ironically picking a Caterian due to their normally docile nature and vast amount of power as well as long lifespans. There were others like them, but either had very short lifespans or was deemed too fragile to handle such immense stress both physically and mentally.

The same could be said for whichever Caterian was picked, but at the same time, it made sense. Their mental capacities were far greater from what he had been told, having heard from others. The fact Caitlin managed to withstand against his uncontrolled reiatsu, shows just how powerful she is. He can only imagine if there are others stronger than her within her family.

Yet, while the Caterians were currently at war with the Ratiers, they still yearned for peace, craving for it someday, not letting the horrors of war deter them.

Not only did they fight, but since Caitlin's birth and managing to participate in the fighting herself, began to bridge the gaps between species.

Any Ratiers that were peaceful were spared and taken to Caterian soil for protection, either living peacefully or joining Caterian forces.

It was even _her_ who made it possible that some demons were trustworthy, later adopting three. _That_ part he was not only surprised, but slightly freaked out. Seriously, three that were the _literal_ sons of Satan? Talk about serious balls to take them, though _his_ fault for dumping them as kids and her gain having wonderful children.

But back with these leaders, when Caitlin caught wind of it, she sought an audience with them, and when she did, showed them the tablets.

At first, many scoffed at the idea, treating her words as if being told some fairytale from a child. However, when shown the translated texts related to each tablet, they began to accept it more easily. More so as some dated years before her birth, before her grandparents' grandparents even.

This all happened before Orihime's brother, this boy Li, had even been born.

No one knew it would be him at the time, the tablets leaving some info out, having to be interpreted as much as translated of what they meant.

That meant not all might be correct, that whoever _is_ this heir may not be born from Caitlin, which he or she may be her grandchild or great-grandchild. They may not even be born for several generations, where they may be the great-grandchild to whoever may become her last born.

When he _was_ finally born and determined to be that child, Caitlin made it clear that he wasn't going to be taken away. While it would pose a risk to his safety, he _needed_ a mother to watch him, to be surrounded by friends and family. He _needed_ to learn all cultures not only from his own people but others, knowing the leaders would have him learn specific ones.

Heinz was impressed that she knew they were corrupted, these leaders unable to say otherwise less they want to cause an all-out war.

When Orihime finally finished, Heinz was left to his own thoughts, knowing a bit more of what he's wanting to get into. It was that, and recalling his own personal horror when held captive and when that man in black appeared to take him back.

If he really _did_ join this war, he would be seeing all that, possibly have it happen to him again and again. He would see, hear, smell things he would never have wanted to go through again.

And yet, he _still_ wanted to stand by Caitlin's side, to fight alongside her and dozens others, to learn how to control this Hōgyoku.

If he can, maybe it'll be enough to weaken Darkness for someone to deliver the finishing blow? Maybe use it to help with sealing her away, they could have or find the right seals to do it, but no one with enough power to do it? For all he knows, he could _be_ that very person or close enough.

Having decided, he waited until at least Perry was here, figuring he would be the first, wanting to talk to him alone for a while now.

He needed to make sure his former nemesis was okay, recalling the night so vividly when he cried himself to sleep in his arms.

He needed to make sure that his leaving, it doesn't break Perry, doesn't make him attempt to take his life again. He doesn't want to one day return and find out he killed himself or has taken to self-harm to mask his emotional pain.

He didn't think he would live with himself if he pushed Perry to that point.

When the opportunity eventually came, his rehabilitation nearing completion, he asked for the former platypus to stay behind to talk with privately.

"What is it?" the agent asked, sitting on a chair as Heinz sat across, setting a tray of freshly made tea down.

Perry was impressed how quickly the man took to it, silently grateful a small kitchen was put into the room.

At least he would be able to fix himself something when he was able to move around or fetch something quick to eat than wandering around for the kitchen.

"Perry, just hear me out, don't interrupt, please," he asked, his voice straining to remain serious and being nervous.

"I'll try," he said, unable to promise it, a little unnerved what the other may have to say to him, to request they speak privately.

"I'm planning on staying here, to help Caitlin fight against Darkness."

"What? Why?"

Unable to suppress a smirk at the other's reaction, grateful he hasn't started ranting and raving about staying with them. He might have an idea, but simply wants clarification, to avoid confusion.

"What's been implanted inside me, the Hōgyoku, it has tremendous power. I wouldn't feel right hiding if there was even the _tiniest_ hope that it could help win this damnable war. It might be the key to stopping Darkness once and for all, to restore the balance between light and dark. It may have the power to either destroy her or help seal her away indefinitely."

"And what if it doesn't?"

"It would _still_ be something Caitlin could use, even if _I_ can't fight, I might be of use in other areas. I'm still genius, I'm more than capable of building inators, just for good instead of evil. I probably could _turn_ my old inators into something useful. They could help either causing actual harm against Darkness and her army, or causing enough of a distraction for the real soldiers and scientists to cause damage."

"What about Vanessa? Your family?"

"Even _I_ have to know when to accept she's not a little girl anymore. And she isn't alone, she has my parents, has Roger and her mother to support her. She even has Monty by her side."

"What about the others?"

"To hell with Rodney and the other evil villains, they never cared about me to begin with. But Monobrow? He might wonder if he drank too much or something if he heard me like this."

"And…"

Before he could finish, the other interrupted, knowing what he was leading to, showing how well he was read. It was rather frightening, wondering if this is how close their friendship is, or how badly scarred he is mentally. At least the one who's reading him is someone he trusts so much, feels so safe with, knowing he would never harm him, not like this.

"That's what I'm worried about more, why I'm talking to _you_ first. Phineas and the other kids do care about me a great deal and I don't want to hurt them. But more importantly, I don't want to hurt _you_."

"M-me?"

Perry mentally cursed himself as he felt his cheeks heat up a bit.

"Yes, I don't want to have it where if I leave, it breaks you. You have struggled so hard, putting so much pressure on yourself keeping everyone together. I don't want my leaving to hurt you. I want to know you can handle me being gone, not having someone to talk with, argue with, maybe even spar with for fun."

Looking away, he heard the agent shift in his seat, letting him take it in and let what he said sink in.

"What if you didn't have to worry because I stayed too?" Perry questioned softly, making the brunette snap his head, looking him right in the eye.

"What are you talking about?"

"What you said earlier, about not feeling right hiding, I've had the same thoughts too. I've done some training in secret since I found my boys and the others, to make sure I didn't hurt them or myself. I nearly broke a knife in two because I was so scared when that _man_ showed up at the door. Caitlin could use someone like me, to help either fight or help with _something_. I don't care what it is, if it's moving equipment or bodies, dead and injured alike. If it could help make the fighting easier…"

"After what you _went_ through? You went through far worse than I did, are you even sure you could _handle_ that?" Heinz questioned, unable to help but glance at the other's arms, watching as he nervously rubbed them.

"I don't know if I can, but maybe, if you plan on staying here to fight and I do to, we're likely going to be together. I'll know my boys are safe, that Candace and the others are safe too. Caitlin will likely let us visit them, either through a web cam or something, or actually visit. And we could support one another, not just in combat, but…but in comforting each other…"

Perry felt his face burn more, feeling stupid with how he sounded, unable to look the other in the eye at this point.

Heinz felt his himself flush too, looking away, picking at a loose thread on his sleeve nervously.

"I suppose so," he spoke, "it would make it more bearable. We'd have each other, we trust each other far more than we would with most of the others. Aside you and Vanessa, only other people I trust are Orihime and Caitlin."

"I know the feeling, I'm sure there are a lot who _are_ trustworthy and may learn to trust them at some point, but for now, they're strangers. We don't know who's trustworthy or who's a possible danger."

"Like that Mayuri guy?"

"Exactly, I don't trust him, doubt I ever will."

"Glad I decided to talk with you first than gathering everyone together at once," Heinz half joked, the other smiling a little.

"Same here…"

* * *

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	39. Chapter 39

"You're…you're not coming with us?" Phineas stuttered softly, staring in disbelief between the two.

It was a week since the pair had that talk, having talked more, to really ensure they were making right decision and how to break it to the others.

It wasn't going to be easy, but it was far easier having someone to talk with, someone who shared the same thought and felt the same.

So now they broke the news, starting with those closest to them, namely Perry's family and their friends as well as Heinz's family. The former though have been with them through so much, telling them was more important than the others. Even Seri and Melody were present, not wanting to leave them out either.

They can wait to inform Monogram and anyone else who had come afterwards, or they'll let the others do so if they get to them first.

"Phineas, remember, these people, these _demons_ did things to us, experimented on us to make us into weapons. They gave us a power that we can turn right back on them, that may or may not help stop this war. We won't know without trying," Perry explained, seeing how upset they looked. "Honestly, this wasn't easy for either of us to decide, whether to stay or go with you to the safe zone."

"What about us?" Baljeet asked, gesturing to himself and the others, his voice cracking a bit.

Giving a sad smile, he looked at the boy, "You guys aren't alone. While we lost many, there are some whom we haven't lost. I'm positive Major Monogram will help watch you as would Isabella's and Jeremy's families."

"We will help as well," Mr. Doofenshmirtz stated, surprising his wife and younger son, seemingly content with their decision.

"You're willing to let your _own_ son fight something like monsters?" Roger asked, shocked by his father's actions. "We _just_ got him back for god sakes!"

"I know, but Heinz is a grown man. He is more than capable of making decisions and is doing what he feels is right," he answered, clearly upset over it with the way he hung his head.

"Thank you, I wasn't sure whether or not to ask you, Vater," Heinz smiled, trying not to burst into tears.

"Also, from what we have learned about Caitlin, I'm positive she'll let us visit as often as possible. Even if we can't visit in person, she likely would help set up video feeds to connect with all of you instead," Perry added with a bitter smile.

"But both of you went through so much pain, why are you willing to put yourselves through more?" Vanessa asked, unsure whether to be angry or not.

"Because not doing something would feel far worse than what they did to us," her father answered, gritting his teeth slightly.

"What about the Hōgyoku? What if they find out that you still have it _because_ you stayed? Who knows what they'll do to get it back!"

"That was another reason I'm more willing to stay here. If there is a chance the safe zone could be jeopardized because of it. I'd rather at least be surrounded by soldiers than innocent people. Plus, if I stay, Caitlin and Kisuke as well as anyone else will help me utilize it better, so I don't lose control and be able to defend myself. And they'll do the same for Perry as well I'm sure."

"I guess it makes sense, but we just got you back, like Uncle Roger said," the teenager whispered softly to keep herself from breaking down.

"I know, Sweetie, I don't like this decision, but I'm trying to think what's best for everyone. Your lives are more important than my safety. One day, this war will end and when it does, I'll come back."

"Phineas, Ferb," Perry spoke as he knelt down, hugging them both. "I know how badly you would want me, want _us_ to stay, but we can do a lot of good staying behind."

"How?" the green haired boy asked, his voice shaking, body trembling with unshed tears.

"Just think how many others are like us? How many are without families or may soon be if Darkness were to find and invade their world, their dimension? If there's a chance we can prevent that, less people will be hurt. And there are still those from our world that are missing and I wouldn't feel right leaving them behind."

"But we need you, _both_ of you!" Phineas cried, wrapping his arms around the teal haired man's neck.

"I know, I know," he comforted, patting them both as the other boy soon broke, silently crying as the other was vocal. "But not only am I fighting for all of us, but Heinz needs me too. He needs a familiar face he can turn to, someone he trusts when things are dark. If he didn't need, or had someone who can fill that role instead, then maybe, maybe I _would_ stay."

"Perry…"

"I…I wanna fight with you too!" Melody proclaimed, tears flowing down her face, gripping the bottom of her shirt.

"Are you _insane_? You're just a child!" Seri gasped as did others, all eyes on her.

"I know, but…but I've killed people before, remember?" she sniffled, looking at the older woman. "I could help, I really could."

"Absolutely not, like Seri said, you're just a child," Heinz nearly snapped, seeing a strange determination on her face. "Melody, you're just a little girl, you don't belong fighting, especially in a war."

"I know, but I want to protect you, protect Perry, protect Phineas and Ferb, Candace, everyone I love. I was useless when that bad man shot me. I couldn't do anything, I didn't act fast enough! If I did, he would have been killed and no one else would have gotten hurt."

"Sweetheart," Perry cooed softly, the boys letting go as he reached out, pulling her into his arms, feeling them hug her as well. "You're not useless, you're only a child. There was no way you could've beaten that horrible man. I couldn't even beat him and I'm an adult!"

"Melody, it's bad enough that you were forced to kill those people, but you were given no choice and you were scared. You have a chance now to live a normal life, away from such violence. Don't throw that chance away," Heinz stated as he gently petted her hair, eyes filling with tears.

"What about Yachiru? She's a child too and she fights, she's even a lieutenant for that Eleventh Division! And what about Ben? She's my age and she fights alongside her daddy and grandpa! So why can't I fight with you?"

Both were taken back, unsure how to answer that, knowing she made some good points just now.

There were small children fighting, some they met, others they hear about, all having chosen to stay and fight. They did it for various reasons.

Some did so in order to stay with loved ones, others want to avenge any friends and family that have died.

The difference though, one they could try using to argue with would be that some of those small children were older than they appeared. Such as Yachiru, she's a Shinigami; she's lived for at least a couple hundred years, maybe more, maybe less. She may look and act like a child, but deep down, she's more mature and _will_ take a situation seriously if need be.

Even so, that doesn't mean either of them could let Melody stay with them, let her get caught up in something like this. It isn't…

"If she's going to stay, than I am too," Phineas stated, his face buried in the girl's hair, casting a fierce glance at the agent.

"Absolutely…" he started to argue, before interrupted.

"So am I," Ferb added, his voice sounding stronger, more adult like than the frightened boy he was moments ago.

"Boys, I can't…"

"Same here," Candace added, making the agent stutter, unsure how to stop them.

Even the looks on Heinz and his family's faces were the same, not expecting them to make such a huge decision so quickly.

"Like you said, you need each other and we need you, but you need us too, whether you admit it or not. And…and we can do some good, I'm sure of it. I don't know what, but I'm sure of it," the teenager explained, feeling her hands shaking.

"You're only kids though! You three especially, I would never forgive myself if you got hurt, killed even," the agent half sobbed, trying to keep himself stable.

Leaning more into him than the little girl, Phineas gave him a sad smile, "I know, but we don't have a home anymore. You're our home, our family and we need to stick together. Ferb and I could try and build some cool things or come up with some cool ideas to help. I don't think we could make weapons, but we could do cool things to help the injured and saving people."

"He's right, you know he's right," Ferb added, the agent caught, but wouldn't admit it, wanting to try and stand his ground.

He can't let them stay and fight, he can't let them get hurt, never again.

"If…if they're staying, then I will too!" Isabella stated, "I can learn medicine. I know enough first aid to treat everyone when we landed in that world. I can learn even more to help others."

"What about your mother?"

"She'll be sad I'm not going to the safe zone, but…but I think she'll understand. She knows how much you guys mean to me. I don't want to feel helpless anymore, feel like I'm a burden, a coward even."

"I'm gonna stick around too, some of the fighting those Eleventh Division guys do, _does_ seem pretty fun," Buford added, knowing it was partly the truth.

But he wouldn't admit it, he was too tough for that, having shown enough what he would deem wussy.

"M-me too, I wanna help as well… I want… I honestly want to make those monsters pay for what they did. For taking away our families, our homes, our world," Baljeet stuttered, speaking for everyone as much as himself.

"He's right, they're all right," Jeremy added, "plus, Renji's been teaching me how to fight, so I can better protect Candace and the others. If I stay, I can learn a whole lot more, _do_ a lot more."

"Not only that, but we're not the same as we were back in Danville," Phineas added, a strange air of maturity in his eyes. "We've learned that the world is a lot harsher than we would have thought. And being that we have no Danville to return to, or any place, wherever we go will probably be just as harsh if not harsher like that last place. Maybe not the safe zones, but when the war is over, where everyone is free to return home or find one."

Seeing Perry was at a loss, not expecting this sort of thing, his mind momentarily going blank. Even the others in the room were speechless, trying to put something together before Heinz spoke up.

"Even if we let you, if Caitlin lets you come with us, who would even watch you when we do fight? We have no clue what the battlefield may be like. What sort of strategies will be made to protect the injured and any possible civilians caught in the crossfire. We couldn't bear to abandon you, risk endangering you somehow."

"I'll watch them," Seri sighed, a strained smile on her face.

"Seri, you don't," the brunette started before she interrupted him.

"I gave up my home. Caitlin offered to return me to my world, but I couldn't bring myself to do it. With how long I've been here, how long we were gone there, they probably believe I'm dead. It would be easier to stay here, to do something as you've said. I also want to try and find that poor girl. If there's a chance to save her, I want to at least try."

"And if she can't for some reason, nor could Jeremy and Candace, I'll help watch the kids too," Vanessa chimed in, seeing her father's stunned look. "I've lost you once already. I don't _ever_ want to lose you again."

"Vanessa, I nearly lost you too!" Heinz practically sobbed, grabbing her by the shoulders before feeling a hand land on his. Glancing up, he was surprised to see Roger giving him a comforting smile.

"She's stronger than you give her credit for," he spoke as he gave his niece a reassuring look. "If our world still existed, I wouldn't mind forking my title as mayor to her. She's a much better leader than I could ever be."

"So you are going to let your own _daughter_ fight in a war?" Heinz's mother questioned, raising a brow in surprise.

"Vanessa, what happened to me, how much do you know?"

"Everything, including how you _distracted_ that man," she added, careful with her words so not to distress the others. "I've spoken with Rukia too. She told me a lot about how she fights…at least as a Shinigami."

Slumping his shoulders, Heinz felt tears forming in his eyes as he pulled her close, her face buried into his chest.

"If you're absolutely sure, fine. But if things get ugly, I mean _really_ ugly, I want you and the others to get away as far as you can. Get to someone safe, like Orihime, this Rukia, _anyone_ from Caitlin's family. Understand?"

"Of course, I'm not stupid," she half joked, hugging him back, relieved to see him starting to see her as an adult, not some helpless child.

"Are you _insane_?" Charlene nearly screamed. "How could you even think about letting _our_ daughter enter a war?"

"She's also old enough to understand," he added as they pulled apart. "It took me some time, but I see how mature she's become. I only wish I saw it sooner rather than current circumstances."

"What about the other kids? Don't _you_ have a family?" she asked, pointing a finger at the blonde, seeing him look away.

"I _do_ have my family, but I don't want to just abandon Candace and the others. We've been through so much already, it wouldn't feel right to just part ways like this," he answered softly, feeling the mentioned girl's hand intertwined with his.

"Are you sure? What about Suzy?" his girlfriend asked, knowing how much the little girl meant to him.

"She won't be happy, but I'm worried about having some sort of meltdown around her. At least if I stay here, I can get any help I may need."

"I know this is insane, maybe it is, but we really _were_ through a lot together. We were alone and scared, then Perry found us and gave us some hope. He helped us as much as we were helping him. We met Seri and Dennis, and Dennis _really_ helped Perry out, being someone he could talk with. Then we have Heinz, and while he couldn't talk, he did the same kind of help Dennis did for him, for _us _even. We _need_ each other, the thought of separating, I don't want to think about it," Phineas explained, the others, including the mentioned adults silently agreeing.

Giving a sad look, Heinz's father knelt down before the boy, placing a firm hand on his shoulder.

"War is something no child should _ever _have to see," he started, seeing the boy frown slightly. "Yet, you and your loved ones stared death in the face and despite that, despite being obviously afraid, you're willing to face it again. Able to do that, a boy, no, a young _man _like you _is _necessary. Not just for military purposes, for them as well."

He didn't need to ask who he meant, the meaning was enough, glancing up at Perry and Heinz, seeing them both looking stunned.

"But if things become too much, know that you're welcomed to stay with us, you and your family. You helped take care of my son, it is the least I could do."

"Thank you, sir," the redhead smiled, feeling tears forming.

With that, it seemed the conversation ended, the decisions amongst the group made, whether any or all liked it.

Now came the question of what everyone else would do.

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_**Please read and review**_


	40. Chapter 40

Many reacted similarly, mostly Isabella and Jeremy's families, shocked to learn they weren't going to come. Suzy had an absolute fit, sobbing hysterically into her brother, begging him to stay, not to leave.

His parents though were a bit more understanding, having told them what happened. He told them why he was so distant before and why he's been spending more time with Renji than them or even his own friends.

Stacy was upset, learning three of her friends, her best friend especially was staying behind, not just to protect her brothers, but fight herself.

But it was understandable; she had no parents, no grandparents, no one to return to, to take care of her or her brothers. Then there was Melody, she became like a little sister to them and needed them just as much.

Therefore her parents were shocked when she stated she would stay, to help support her best friend, all her friends. She would try and learn medicine or anything that could be of use if fighting on the frontlines was impossible.

She wanted to be of some use, even if it was simply cooking or cleaning, it would just mean one less person who could fight hast to do it. They can focus on training, focus protecting people and have a safe place to return to.

They were adamant about her staying, but told them that she's more than old enough to make her own decision and has made it. She may at some point regret it, but that's in the future, and this is now.

They eventually backed down, letting her stick with her decision, only to beg for her to call them as often as she could, in which she promised.

Monty bore a similar argument with his father, but even he backed off, seeing how determined his son was not only to protect his girlfriend, but protect everyone. He wanted to do good still, the very thing he was trained for. Maybe not in the extreme they're facing, but still the same.

Monogram though said that if his son was going to stay, so would he, maybe not to fight due to his age, but could help with communications. Even Carl opted to stay for the same reason, knowing fighting isn't his expertise, but he's useful in other areas.

As this all went on, Heinz, now moving much better where he could freely wander about the Seretei, he did so.

He wanted to explore, see what sort of place it was, especially if this is where he may stay to train.

"You're really going to throw away years of evil and be some sort of good guy?" a sneering voice spoke up, the brunette narrowing his eyes.

"If you saw what I saw, you would too," he answered, turning to see Rodney, obviously following him. "What do you want?"

"You've told us yourself, you have something that could cause _a lot_ of damage. You could rule the universe if you wanted to, yet you're squandering it, using to _protect_ people, _afraid_ of it even."

"See _this_?" he asked, pulling a sleeve up to show tags tied around his bicep. "If this were to be taken off, people would collapse. They wouldn't be able to breathe; some might even _die_ from the shock. _That's_ the kind of power I have and I hate it. If it hadn't fused into me, I would gladly have it removed and sealed away."

"Why don't you kill yourself then?" he taunted, seeing a flare of anger from the younger man.

"I tried once and it didn't work. The Hōgyoku won't _let_ me even if I wanted too."

The other's eyes widened, not expecting him to actually have attempted to end his own life, seeing the flash of pain in his eyes.

"I managed to throw myself off a balcony, I hit the ground, yet I didn't die. It healed all my injuries instead. I wasn't even high enough to break bones, not even my neck. I would have heard if that happened, I'm sure of it. Especially since I couldn't feel a damn thing, only listen to myself breathe, my heart beating."

He never saw Heinz like this, seeing him so torn up, so disgusted not just with himself, but for those who did this to him.

So lost in his thoughts, he nearly missed the other saying something before walking off, hands shoved into his pockets.

Realizing getting him to do evil, _any_ form of evil ever again was impossible. He's lost his rival for good. That part of his life was gone, having died the day their world had been destroyed.

Giving a defeated, sigh, he stalked back, starting to question his own ethics, having known the other enough.

Sure, Heinz wasn't insane enough to take over a planet, but that _still_ didn't stop him from being evil. Having a family, having a child didn't stop him from being evil.

But losing their world, believing he lost his family, everyone he cared for, it changed him. And it only continued to when he went through those torturous surgeries.

Heinz changed so much that he _physically_ looks different than just psychologically alone. He stood straighter, and seeing his arm, there was more muscle than before. He was a completely different man, not that whiny wretch he couldn't stand being around for more than ten seconds.

He couldn't help but wonder what would have happened if it had been him in his place. Would he have changed too? Or would he still be the same?

Elsewhere, Monogram was with Caitlin, the two talking about their current situation. Namely it was with who was staying while preparations are set up for those being sent to one of the safe zones.

"Are you absolutely fine with those kids fighting in a war?"

"Honestly, no, but at the same time, they have as much right as any other. They understand things far better than they should. I _could_ force them to a safe zone, but they would only be miserable. It would be the same for Heinz-kun, yourself, your kids, anyone really. And with how things are, we need all the help we can get, regardless of race, sex, age, anything of the sort."

"This Darkness has made it that difficult?"

"As far as we can tell, she is the origin of evil, or at least its physical manifestation. There have been reports of something as old as her, something with as much evil intent as her, but whether it's older than her or the other way around…"

"Either way, if she's as old as you say she is, as these records give, she must have armies all over."

"Which she does. She can easily corrupt worlds, turning them against one another for her own gain, her own entertainment. Those who oppose her are those she may in fact fear _because_ she can't corrupt them or not longer can."

"But why now are people making it such a big deal? Why not sooner? Before she gained so much power?"

"Because no one knew of her existence before. Now that the walls between dimensions are thinning, that her evil is beginning to distort reality. More so now that she has these bombs to do the impossible, destroy reality. She has become a threat so great someone _has_ to stop her. If not, all that we know to exist will be gone. The scale will tilt too far and destruction will become our future."

"I understand, but if there are so many alternate realities, how could you even keep up?"

"This is where magic can do what science cannot, at least not alone," the woman smiled bitterly. "I've done years of research, discovering spells on multiple worlds in thousands of languages. Even now, I continue learning something new. One of the greatest is these sealing spells."

"Sealing?"

"Hai, it's a bit of a gamble to use as once used, it seals off that dimension from all contact until it is undone. No one can enter, nor leave that realm. Therefore, if I _were_ to use such a spell, I would have to be absolutely sure there is no trace of Darkness' influence in there."

"Yet if she's…"

"Recent influence, such as an attack she makes or her soldiers present. Current evil, such as murder and rape, there's only so much that can be done against it. All we can do it butt heads with it and hope one day it'll end, that no such thing will have a reason to exist."

"And by sealing these worlds up, they're safe from her?"

"Exactly, but at the same time means we can't enter. We can't use them for safe zones or recruiting and using the spell the first time around is exhausting. It isn't something I can simply undo and redo again."

"That's understandable, but any who do enter, if their world is sealed up, means they may never see their homes again?"

"Hai, which I would urge them to truly think about joining this war."

"With how powerful Darkness is currently, the influence she has, to win such a war, it would take years, centuries even."

"We expect that, some who fight age slowly, others, like myself had been cursed, where we can't age."

"Was that your own doing?"

"No, it was one of Darkness' own who tried to curse us, but it backfired. I'm not sure what its intended purpose was, but I doubt letting us enter pseudo immortality was the original plan."

"And of others, such as myself? Human or not, I'm already middle aged…" Monogram started, beginning to think his help may be worthless. It might even be the same for his son, for those kids even…

"There's a chance you may not have to worry about dying of old age any time soon," she answered softly.

"What do you mean?"

"I've just discovered this, so don't think I was keeping things from you or the others. I noticed a strange pattern with some, who should have aged but haven't or not at the rate they should have. I've taken various blood and spiritual samples from people, those close to my family and I as well as those who are practically strangers."

"What did you find?"

"The curse I mentioned? It appears to act as an infectious disease."

"Wait, are you saying that…"

"I'm still looking into it, but it appears that when around those affected become affected themselves.

Staring at his hand, realization dawning on him, "then the reason you're looking for a similar spell to this curse…"

"To both one day break it and use it for others who aren't affected and don't want to die before seeing loved ones again."

"So you could use such a spell on my wife, so that when this war is done, she would be there to greet us?"

"If she wished it, I would. Family is important to any specie's survival, namely the love that binds us. For my species, we are ruled by our emotions more than anything, giving us both the strength as well as become our Achilles Heels. At least for myself, family is everything to me. I would give up my very existence in order for them to survive, to have a peaceful enough future."

"Caitlin…" he whispered, seeing they had more in common, especially when it comes to family.

She honestly loves her children, loves her brother, even any in-laws she may have, willing to protect them all.

If she's willing to put herself in such danger, to put her life, her very existence on the line, so will he!

"Caitlin, if there is any way to help me become stronger, if there is a chance you need more on the battlefield."

"Of course, not just for you, but for any who wants to fight," she answered with a kind smile. "But we would need to have you prepared, as these fights can get ugly, far worse than any war you may have been in back in your world."

"I understand, anything at all to help us would be appreciated."

"Before we do, even before preparing you, we need to move those not staying to the safe zone. It would give everyone one last chance if they were to change their mind. Opening these specific gates is difficult."

"Of course."

Hours after that, everyone was gathered, many saying their goodbyes, many being in tears. A few were making last minute attempts to dissuade those staying to come with them, to stay with them instead.

Yet those who chose, they stood their ground, silently supporting one another of their decision, tears in their eyes.

"By wails of wind and laughter of thunder, come unto us and give us the key to a realm so pure no evil shall touch. By roars of sand and silence of fire, come unto us and open the gate to a world sanctioned by shadows, protected by light," Caitlin chanted, hand raised as it began to glow a shade of violet.

Almost immediately, a crack of lightening crashed down, striking the limb, the white light changing to a violet hue.

The ground beneath her cracked, loose rubble shaking as did the ground itself as another crack of lightening came down. This time however, it had struck the earth itself, creating an arch like doorway, bursting into violet flames.

Light formed within the flaming arch, creating a door when it began to die down, the flames even looking calmer.

There were intricate designs and languages unknown covering nearly every square inch of these doors.

Slowly, the doors opened, a pathway forming, appearing too made of some sort of red and blue clouds, the walls appearing like a clear night with stars.

"What is that?" Charlene gasped, unsure if she even _wants_ to go through or not.

"This is the only safe way to move civilians without Darkness making any form of attack. Once those doors close, she can't cross, even when opened, she cannot cross," Caitlin answered, panting heavily, resting her hands on her knees.

"Are you alright?" Candace asked, unsure whether to go to her side or not. She didn't want to risk disrupting the spell if it were possible.

"Hai, this is the only downside. It takes a huge amount of reiatsu, of mana even; very few can perform such a spell. I may have been named the strongest sorcerous, but that doesn't mean I have the most energy to _use_ such spells. If I did, I would use _this_ far more often than relying on Dimensional Tears. Give me an hour or two after this and I'll be right as rain."

At that, she gave a laugh, waving her exhaustion off as if it were nothing, showing them there really was nothing to be worried about.

"But I would suggest you get moving and cross the threshold. At my current strength, I can only keep the door open for ten minutes."

"What if it closes before we reach the other side?" Heinz's mother asked with worry, shifting on her feet nervously.

"Nothing will happen; the pathway will remain the same. There is no door on the other side, just an open space for you to go through. Just don't run or you might end up tripping on your way out," she reassured with a joke.

"If you're unsure about going, one of us could go with you," a young man with white hair offered. "The world you're going to isn't sealed off, I can easily return here through a Dimensional Tear once all of you have gotten through."

"If it were, I wouldn't even have this gate opened, Jin," Caitlin stated standing a bit straighter.

"I know, Okāsan," he laughed as he stepped towards the doorway. "Whenever you're set, I'll guide you through."

"By the way, where the hell did you come from?"

"I saw your aura change the lightening and figured you were opening the Gate of Dreaming Stars. And being _they're_ new, any who weren't staying might get scared."

"Kay then," she answered before falling flat on her rear, "I'm good!"

At that, the kids couldn't keep a straight face, laughing hard at her, how her arm shot in the air to give a thumbs up.

"Heinz," the man's father called out as some began to go towards the doorway.

"Yes, Vater?" he answered, shifting a bit, really unsure how else to respond.

"Be careful, Son, for yourself and my granddaughter," he spoke, surprising the other as he hugged him.

Fighting back tears once more, Heinz returned the gesture, "I will, I'll do everything to make sure she's safe, we're both safe."

When they pulled apart, he waved, a few tears falling as his father walked towards the door, going through it.

He expected him to keep going, but surprised once more when he turned back, seeing a few actual tears fall from his eyes before disappearing into the gate.

"Be careful yourself," he whispered as the last went through, a slight pain in his heart shooting through.

Once he laid his eyes on his daughter, on Perry even, it settled, reminding himself he wasn't alone. None of them were, they had each other, Caitlin even ensuring that unless they request it, they would be assigned together as a team.

It was the safest method, rotating them only when in training, but actual travel and combat, they would stick together. Any who do stay are those who want to, such as Monogram and Carl. The pair had aimed to help by means of strategies and communication between all the groups.

Despite her exhaustion, Caitlin managed to straighten herself again, brushing dirt and dust off her jeans.

"Alright, let's get all of you over to the Fourth Division. We'll need to do a full physical once more, this time to see what will need to be done if you were to enter direct combat. Whether it is with fists or magic, alchemy or weaponry, we need to know where you currently stand."

Understanding, they followed her, knowing that the second that gate closed, watching the last of their loved ones crossover, there was no going back.

They can't go back, so much was lost, it would feel like spitting on the graves of those who are gone.

They have to fight, for their sake and the sake of everyone, living and dead alike.

The scale is tipping; it has to be stopped before it tips to far.

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